Patents by Inventor John E. Elsbree

John E. Elsbree 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: 5664133
    Abstract: A method and system are described for a computer system for retrieving and presenting a set of commands in the form of a pop up context menu for a selected object. The context menu is displayed in the proximity of the selected object and is determined primarily by the class of the selected object and secondarily by the particular container in which the selected object resides at the time of selection. The context menu displays a number of useful features which enable the user to quickly and easily invoke commands upon the selected object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1997
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Mark A. Malamud, John E. Elsbree, Laura J. Butler, David A. Barnes, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5630080
    Abstract: A user is provided with an easy-to-use approach to directly manipulating text in a word processing environment or the like. Text may be dragged from one location and dropped in another location to move the text to a new location. More generally, the user is provided with the option of performing a conventional drag and drop operation or an enhanced or non-default drag and drop operation. Separate buttons on a mouse are utilized to differentiate between the two types of drag and drop operations. In the conventional drag and drop operation, default behavior is exhibited when an object is dropped on another object. In the enhanced drag and drop operation, a user is presented a list of options of operations that may be performed when the object is dropped on the other object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1997
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Mark A. Malamud, John E. Elsbree, Satoshi Nakajima, Christopher J. Guzak, Kurt J. Eckhardt, Royce A. Levien