Patents by Inventor Ian Sands
Ian Sands 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).
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Patent number: 10699244Abstract: A computing system causes a plurality of display devices to display user interfaces containing portions of a canvas shared by a plurality of users. The canvas is a graphical space containing discrete graphical elements located at arbitrary locations within the canvas. Each of the discrete graphical elements graphically represents a discrete resource. When a user interacts with a resource in the set of resources, the computing system modifies the canvas to include an interaction element indicating that the user is interacting with the resource. The computer system then causes the display devices to update the user interfaces such that the user interfaces reflect a substantially current state of the canvas. In this way, the users may be able to understand which ones of the users are interacting with which ones of the resources.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2018Date of Patent: June 30, 2020Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: Russ Burtner, Kevin Russ, Ian Sands, John Snavely
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Publication number: 20190043016Abstract: A computing system causes a plurality of display devices to display user interfaces containing portions of a canvas shared by a plurality of users. The canvas is a graphical space containing discrete graphical elements located at arbitrary locations within the canvas. Each of the discrete graphical elements graphically represents a discrete resource. When a user interacts with a resource in the set of resources, the computing system modifies the canvas to include an interaction element indicating that the user is interacting with the resource. The computer system then causes the display devices to update the user interfaces such that the user interfaces reflect a substantially current state of the canvas. In this way, the users may be able to understand which ones of the users are interacting with which ones of the resources.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 12, 2018Publication date: February 7, 2019Applicant: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: Russ Burtner, Kevin Russ, Ian Sands, John Snavely
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Patent number: 10127524Abstract: A computing system causes a plurality of display devices to display user interfaces containing portions of a canvas shared by a plurality of users. The canvas is a graphical space containing discrete graphical elements located at arbitrary locations within the canvas. Each of the discrete graphical elements graphically represents a discrete resource. When a user interacts with a resource in the set of resources, the computing system modifies the canvas to include an interaction element indicating that the user is interacting with the resource. The computer system then causes the display devices to update the user interfaces such that the user interfaces reflect a substantially current state of the canvas. In this way, the users may be able to understand which ones of the users are interacting with which ones of the resources.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2009Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: Russ Burtner, Kevin Russ, Ian Sands, John Snavely
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Patent number: 8165799Abstract: Rule-based location sharing may be provided. A location determining device, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) enabled device, may receive a request to share the location. A rule may be used to determine whether to share the location with the requestor. If the rule allows the location to be shared, the location may be sent to the requestor. The location may be relayed through a third party server, which may be operative to evaluate the rule before sharing the location with the requestor.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2009Date of Patent: April 24, 2012Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: John Snavely, Kevin Russ, Ian Sands, Russ Burtner
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Publication number: 20100306018Abstract: Meeting state recall may be provided. A meeting context may be saved at the end of and/or during an event. The meeting context may comprise, for example, a hardware configuration, a software configuration, a recording of the meeting, and/or data associated with a subject of the meeting. The meeting context may be associated with an ongoing project and may be restored at a subsequent meeting associated with the ongoing project.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 27, 2009Publication date: December 2, 2010Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Russ Burtner, Kevin Russ, Ian Sands, John Snavely
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Publication number: 20100306004Abstract: A computing system causes a plurality of display devices to display user interfaces containing portions of a canvas shared by a plurality of users. The canvas is a graphical space containing discrete graphical elements located at arbitrary locations within the canvas. Each of the discrete graphical elements graphically represents a discrete resource. When a user interacts with a resource in the set of resources, the computing system modifies the canvas to include an interaction element indicating that the user is interacting with the resource. The computer system then causes the display devices to update the user interfaces such that the user interfaces reflect a substantially current state of the canvas. In this way, the users may be able to understand which ones of the users are interacting with which ones of the resources.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 26, 2009Publication date: December 2, 2010Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATIONInventors: Russ Burtner, Kevin Russ, Ian Sands, John Snavely
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Publication number: 20100299060Abstract: Rule-based location sharing may be provided. A location determining device, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) enabled device, may receive a request to share the location. A rule may be used to determine whether to share the location with the requestor. If the rule allows the location to be shared, the location may be sent to the requestor. The location may be relayed through a third party server, which may be operative to evaluate the rule before sharing the location with the requestor.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2009Publication date: November 25, 2010Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: John Snavely, Kevin Russ, Ian Sands, Russ Burtner
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Publication number: 20100295794Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a dual-sided multi-touch computing device that offers the advantages of a keyboard in addition to the conveniences of a slate device. The dual-sided multi-touch computing device may be utilized in two orientations; one side is a multi-touch slate device, and the alternate side is a multi-touch display keyboard. The device is configured with an orientation-recognition device, so that it may be configured based on its orientation. The present invention may be utilized as a stand alone personal computer or as a peripheral device in conjunction with other devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 20, 2009Publication date: November 25, 2010Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Kevin Russ, Ian Sands, Russ Burtner, John Snavely
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Publication number: 20100293501Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed toward facilitating multi-user input on large format displays. In situations where multiple users may want to work individually on separate content, or individually on the same content, embodiments of the present invention provide an interface allowing a user or users to segment a display in a way to create isolated areas in which multiple users may manipulate content independently and concurrently.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 18, 2009Publication date: November 18, 2010Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Kevin Russ, John Snavely, Ian Sands, Russ Burtner
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Publication number: 20070024580Abstract: An interactive display facility includes a display component configured to present content so that it is observable by viewers within a vicinity of the display component and a streaming component configured to stream interactive content associated with the presented content to a user device, wherein the interactive content is for presentation to the user in addition to the selected content presented on the display component. The interactive display facility may also include a user detection component configured to detect the presence of a user in a specified vicinity and a content selection component configured to identify content to present to a user detected by the user detection component.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2006Publication date: February 1, 2007Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Ian Sands, Victor Russ
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Publication number: 20070027806Abstract: Providing enhanced customer service within an environment. A customer identification subsystem configured to automatically identify a customer that has entered the environment and a customer tracking subsystem configured to automatically track activities, current locations, or both activities and current locations of the identified customer within the environment may provide input to a context processing component and/or at least one environment-driven application. The context processing component, if provided, may be configured to determine a current or near current context for the identified customer based on information provided by the customer identification subsystem and the customer tracking subsystem. The at least one environment-driven application may be configured to use customer context information provided by the context processing component (or derived independently) to facilitate providing customized customer service to the customer.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 6, 2006Publication date: February 1, 2007Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Ian Sands, Victor Russ
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Publication number: 20070027618Abstract: The information navigation interface facilitates receiving an indication of a discrete physical contact event with a user input device. The contact event is associated with a user request for navigating an assembly of displayable information. A navigation action based on the received indication is then determined. The navigation action may include either (a) both scrolling and expansion of currently displayed information wherein the scrolling and expansion occur simultaneously or nearly simultaneously, or (b) both scrolling and contraction of currently displayed information wherein the scrolling and contraction occur simultaneously or nearly simultaneously. Once determined, the navigation action is applied, resulting in a display of a second portion of the assembly of information.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 28, 2006Publication date: February 1, 2007Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Ian Sands, Victor Russ
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Publication number: 20050256781Abstract: A system and method for empowering consumers in a retail environment. Among many other features, the present invention provides timely, value-added services based on contextual information associated with a user, such as a user's location, shopping preferences, past purchasing patterns, and other information. In general, the invention provides a system that monitors the location of a wireless device. If it is determined that the wireless device is located in an area approximate to a specific region, such a store's pharmacy department, an association is made between the wireless device and a category of items, e.g., pharmaceuticals. By the use of the association, information about the category of items, or individual items, is readily available to a user of the wireless device. In addition, the present invention enables companies to provide high-quality consumer services that can differentiate between various types of consumers.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2005Publication date: November 17, 2005Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Ian Sands, Victor Russ
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Publication number: 20050256782Abstract: A system and method for empowering consumers in a retail environment. Among many other features, the present invention provides timely, value-added services based on contextual information associated with a user, such as a user's location, shopping preferences, past purchasing patterns, and other information. In general, the invention provides a system that monitors the location of a wireless device. If it is determined that the wireless device is located in an area approximate to a specific region, such a store's pharmacy department, an association is made between the wireless device and information related to a category of items, e.g., pharmaceuticals. The association of the information allows a system to readily communicate more relevant information to a user of the wireless device. In addition, the present invention enables companies to provide high-quality consumer services that can differentiate various types of consumers.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2005Publication date: November 17, 2005Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Ian Sands, Victor Russ