Patents by Inventor Joshua C. Zana

Joshua C. Zana 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: 10963147
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a companion application that allows users to discover secondary content that supplements primary content that the user is enjoying and to run the secondary content within the application. Examples of primary content include, games, television shows, movies, and music. In one embodiment, a companion application runs on both the primary device, which is the device generating the primary content, and on the companion device. The companion application helps the user discover available secondary content. In addition to discovering secondary content that may be relevant to the user, the companion application includes an application-run environment in which secondary content applications may run.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Kathleen Patricia Mulcahy, Shiraz Cupala, John Darren Elliott, Wyatt Douglas Jackson, Hansen Liou, Alain P. Maillot, Neil Warren Black, Joshua C. Zana
  • Publication number: 20180300050
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a companion application that allows users to discover secondary content that supplements primary content that the user is enjoying and to run the secondary content within the application. Examples of primary content include, games, television shows, movies, and music. In one embodiment, a companion application runs on both the primary device, which is the device generating the primary content, and on the companion device. The companion application helps the user discover available secondary content. In addition to discovering secondary content that may be relevant to the user, the companion application includes an application-run environment in which secondary content applications may run.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventors: Kathleen Patricia Mulcahy, Shiraz Cupala, John Darren Elliott, Wyatt Douglas Jackson, Hansen Liou, Alain P. Maillot, Neil Warren Black, Joshua C. Zana
  • Patent number: 10025478
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a companion application that allows users to discover secondary content that supplements primary content that the user is enjoying and to run the secondary content within the application. Examples of primary content include, games, television shows, movies, and music. In one embodiment, a companion application runs on both the primary device, which is the device generating the primary content, and on the companion device. The companion application helps the user discover available secondary content. In addition to discovering secondary content that may be relevant to the user, the companion application includes an application-run environment in which secondary content applications may run.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Kathleen Patricia Mulcahy, Shiraz Cupala, John Darren Elliott, Wyatt Douglas Jackson, Hansen Liou, Alain P. Maillot, Neil Warren Black, Joshua C. Zana
  • Patent number: 9798457
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide secondary content that is synchronized to progress within a primary media content. The secondary content, may be a comment, an emote, a poll, a contextual advertisement, a special feature, or other communication synchronized to a particular point in the media. Examples of media include movies, games, television shows, sporting events, video conferences, online chat sessions, and others. Some events are synchronized using time sequencing to a particular spot within a time-based media content. The events may be published through social media outlets. The progress point associated with the event may be directly accessed by selecting a link within the event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Shiraz Cupala, Kathleen Patricia Mulcahy, Howard B. Nager, Joshua C. Zana, Don F. Box
  • Patent number: 8839390
    Abstract: Grouping personal accounts to tailor a web service may be accomplished by grouping information from two or more personal accounts. In some embodiments, a personal account may include a set of persons. By grouping personal accounts, a service provider may tailor a web service to multiple people based on information about those people.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua C. Zana, David R. Reed, Matthew J. Pope, Shyam S. Habarakada, Boyd Cannon Multerer, Nir Nice, Todd R. Manion, Melissa W. Dunn
  • Publication number: 20130325954
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide secondary content that is synchronized to progress within a primary media content. The secondary content, may be a comment, an emote, a poll, a contextual advertisement, a special feature, or other communication synchronized to a particular point in the media. Examples of media include movies, games, television shows, sporting events, video conferences, online chat sessions, and others. Some events are synchronized using time sequencing to a particular spot within a time-based media content. The events may be published through social media outlets. The progress point associated with the event may be directly accessed by selecting a link within the event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shiraz Cupala, Kathleen Patricia Mulcahy, Howard B. Nager, Joshua C. Zana, Don F. Box
  • Publication number: 20130326563
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a companion application that allows users to discover secondary content that supplements primary content that the user is enjoying and to run the secondary content within the application. Examples of primary content include, games, television shows, movies, and music. In one embodiment, a companion application runs on both the primary device, which is the device generating the primary content, and on the companion device. The companion application helps the user discover available secondary content. In addition to discovering secondary content that may be relevant to the user, the companion application includes an application-run environment in which secondary content applications may run.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kathleen Patricia Mulcahy, Shiraz Cupala, John Darren Elliott, Wyatt Douglas Jackson, Hansen Liou, Alain P. Maillot, Neil Warren Black, Joshua C. Zana
  • Publication number: 20130014126
    Abstract: A Web browser of a device on a network identifies itself as being a Web browser on a host device for cross-browser communications. As part of this identification, the Web browser of the host device provides access information indicating how to communicate with the Web browser. Other computing devices on the same network can obtain this access information, and Web applications running in Web browsers of those other computing devices can use the obtained access information to communicate data to the Web browser of the host device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joshua C. Zana, Jeremy L. Dewey, Shyam S. Habarakada
  • Publication number: 20120233676
    Abstract: This document describes grouping personal accounts to tailor a web service. By grouping personal accounts, a service provider may tailor a web service to multiple people based on information about those people.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joshua C. Zana, David R. Reed, Matthew J. Pope, Shyam S. Habarakada, Boyd Cannon Multerer, Nir Nice, Todd R. Manion, Melissa W. Dunn