Patents by Inventor Jason T. Cobb
Jason T. Cobb 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: 8621452Abstract: Techniques for device driver management/installation are provided. In at least some embodiments, a device driver management system can be employed by a user to selectively rollback a currently installed device driver to one or a plurality of previously installed device driver(s). Additionally, the system can be employed by the user to revert to a pristine state of not having the device driver installed at all, for example, the NULL driver (e.g., in the situation in which the first driver installed on the device causes machine instability). The system stores information associated with driver(s) running on a specific device and allows a user to selectively revert to any one of a plurality of previously installed device driver(s), for example, if they experience a problem with a newer driver. Rollback point(s) can be stored, for example, in the system registry.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2011Date of Patent: December 31, 2013Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventor: Jason T. Cobb
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Patent number: 8065674Abstract: A system and method for entity management is provided. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a system administrator is given control over device(s) that can be installed on a computer system(s), and/or how the installation can be performed. Thus, a system administrator can specify device installation policy that prevents the computer system from automatically installing device(s) (e.g., even when an appropriate driver is available to be installed). For example, this policy can be applied to substantially all new devices and/or only a subset of devices. Optionally, policy can also control how device(s) that are already installed will be made available to the computer system.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2004Date of Patent: November 22, 2011Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: James G Cavalaris, Jason T Cobb, Santosh S Jodh
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Publication number: 20110167300Abstract: Techniques for device driver management/installation are provided. In at least some embodiments, a device driver management system can be employed by a user to selectively rollback a currently installed device driver to one or a plurality of previously installed device driver(s). Additionally, the system can be employed by the user to revert to a pristine state of not having the device driver installed at all, for example, the NULL driver (e.g., in the situation in which the first driver installed on the device causes machine instability). The system stores information associated with driver(s) running on a specific device and allows a user to selectively revert to any one of a plurality of previously installed device driver(s), for example, if they experience a problem with a newer driver. Rollback point(s) can be stored, for example, in the system registry.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2011Publication date: July 7, 2011Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventor: Jason T. Cobb
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Patent number: 7934213Abstract: A system and method for device driver management/installation is provided. The device driver management system can be employed by a user to selectively rollback a currently installed device driver to one or a plurality of previously installed device driver(s). Additionally, the system can be employed by the user to revert to a pristine state of not having the device driver installed at all, for example, the NULL driver (e.g., in the situation in which the first driver installed on the device causes machine instability). The system stores information associated with driver(s) running on a specific device and allows a user to selectively revert to any one of a plurality of previously installed device driver(s), for example, if they experience a problem with a newer driver. Rollback point(s) can be stored, for example, in the system registry.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2004Date of Patent: April 26, 2011Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventor: Jason T. Cobb
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Patent number: 7716382Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that facilitate refining a list of candidate driver packages for a detected plug-and-play device. A device can be detected and a hardware ID there for can be determined and compared to hardware IDs in a data store to determine a preliminary list of driver packages that match the hardware device ID. The driver packages can be tagged with additional rich targeting criteria that must be satisfied in order for the driver package to be retained in the candidate list. If additional criteria in the driver packages are not satisfied, then the driver package can be excised from the candidate list to refine driver package compatibility with a computer to which the device is connected.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2005Date of Patent: May 11, 2010Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Frederick J. Smith, IV, Eugene S. Lin, Jason T Cobb
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Patent number: 7577769Abstract: The subject invention relates to systems and methods that automatically monitor computer platform components and initiate automated resource recovery procedures based on detected periods of component inactivity. In one aspect, an automated maintenance system for computer resources is provided. The system includes a controller that monitors installation and removal of system components that cooperate to facilitate various operations of a computer. A threshold component supplies time out or decay values for the devices to determine inactive periods of the devices, whereby the controller removes persistent memory references for the devices based in part on the time out values. Supervisory threshold functions can be provided to cause the system to perform maintenance operations at other desired intervals in order to allow periods of device inactivity while maintaining desired component information on the respective system.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2005Date of Patent: August 18, 2009Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Jason T. Cobb, James G. Cavalaris, Santosh S. Jodh
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Publication number: 20080189722Abstract: Some device drivers support the “least common denominator” features of a device, such as a generic VGA driver which does not provide access to higher resolution or other features supported by a video card. It may be difficult for computer users to know when an enhanced driver is available. A method is provided to notify a user that a device driver on the user's system is generic and that an enhanced device driver is available.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 2, 2007Publication date: August 7, 2008Applicant: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Eugene S. Lin, Jason T. Cobb, James G. Cavalaris
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Patent number: 7216344Abstract: A method and system for avoiding the overwriting of drivers by subsequent versions or other commonly named drivers includes generating a unique identity for every eligible driver package. Driver files from the driver package, or the entire driver package itself, are then installed in a subdirectory location in a common storage based on the unique identity. The driver files may be loaded to a memory from the subdirectory location. Thus, multiple driver packages and driver files having the same name may be installed and loaded side-by-side.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2004Date of Patent: May 8, 2007Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Jason T. Cobb, James G. Cavalaris, Santosh Jodh, Jamie Hunter, Lonny D. McMichael