Patents by Inventor Joshua T. Goodman

Joshua T. Goodman 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).

  • Publication number: 20080005057
    Abstract: Content management architecture for a portable wireless device. Caching and fetching techniques are provided to improve content handling for portable devices such as cellular telephones and portable computers. A search component automatically performs searches as a background process, and potentially desired content is received and cached by a content storing component to be available in the future when and if needed, mitigating latency associated with slow download speeds, refresh rates, and other system and/or network impediments. Content from background search results can be trickled into the device as part of the background process so as not to burden system resources for other processes. As part of memory management, aged and/or low priority or low interest content can be selectively removed or archived to increase available cache or memory space, as well as to maintain relevant content within the device. A presentation component facilitates presentation of the pre-stored content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Raymond E. Ozzie, Eric J. Horvitz, William H. Gates, Joshua T. Goodman, Susan T. Dumais, Gary W. Flake, Trenholme J. Griffin, Xuedong D. Huang, Oliver Hurst-Hiller, Christopher A. Meek
  • Publication number: 20080005108
    Abstract: An architecture is provided for data mining of electronic messages to extract information relating to relevancy and popularity of websites and/or web pages for ranking of web pages or other documents. A monitor component monitors information of a message for a reference to a web page or other document, and a ranking component computes rank of the web page based in part on the reference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Raymond E. Ozzie, Joshua T. Goodman, Oliver Hurst-Hiller, John C. Platt, Eric J. Horvitz, Eric D. Brill
  • Publication number: 20080005104
    Abstract: A localized marketing system is disclosed that provides discount offers to users that match merchant criteria including proximity. Further, a system for actively probing populations of users with different parameters and monitoring responses can be employed to collect data for identifying the best discounts and deadlines to offer to users to achieve desired results. Another aspect of the disclosure pertains to web searches and more particularly toward influencing resultant content to increase relevancy. The resultant content can be influenced by reconfiguring a query and/or filtering results based on user location and/or context information (e.g., user characteristics/profile, prior interaction/usage temporal, current events, and third party state/context . . . ). Furthermore, the disclosure provides for query execution on at least a subset of designated web content, for example as specified by a user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gary W. Flake, William H. Gates, Eric J. Horvitz, Joshua T. Goodman, Surajit Chaudhuri, Trenholme J. Griffin, Oliver Hurst-Hiller, Kenneth A. Moss
  • Publication number: 20080005073
    Abstract: Architecture that monitors interaction data (e.g., search queries, query results and click-through rates), and provides users with links to other users that fall into similar categories with respect to the foregoing monitored activities (e.g., providing links to individuals and groups that share common interests and/or profiles). A search engine can be interactively coupled with one or more social networks, and that maps individuals and/or groups within respective social networks to subsets of categories associated with searches. A database stores mapped information which can be continuously updated and reorganized as links within the system mapping become stronger or weaker. The architecture can comprise a social network system that includes a database for mapping search-related information to an entity of a social network, and a search component for processing a search query for search results and returning a link to an entity of a social network based on the search query.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher A. Meek, Eric J. Horvitz, Joshua T. Goodman, Gary W. Flake, Oliver Hurst-Hiller, Anoop Gupta, Ramez Naam, Kenneth A. Moss, William H. Gates, John C. Platt, Trenholme J. Griffin, Bradly A. Brunell
  • Publication number: 20080004950
    Abstract: Architecture for presenting advertisements in realtime in retail establishments. A sensor component includes sensors for collecting information about a customer or group of customers as they move through the store. The sensors can include capability for image processing, audio processing, light sensing, velocity sensing, direction sensing, proximity sensing, face recognition, pose recognition, transaction recognition, and biometric sensing, for example. A customer component analyzes the information and generates a profile about the customer. Advertisements are selected for presentation that target the customers as they walk in proximity of a presentation system of the store. An advertisement component facilitates dynamic presentation of a targeted advertisement to the individual as a function of the profile. The customer component can infer information during analysis using machine learning and reasoning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Xuedong D. Huang, William H. Gates, Eric J. Horvitz, Joshua T. Goodman, Bradly A. Brunell, Susan T. Dumais, Gary W. Flake, Trenholme J. Griffin, Oliver Hurst-Hiller
  • Publication number: 20080005068
    Abstract: A system that incorporates a user context into a computer-based search is provided. To establish the context, the innovation can identify information about a user state or context via a variety of sources and sensors. The state/context information can be used to filter, arrange and/or rank search results so as to facilitate converging on meaningful searches and results. Machine learning systems (implicitly and/or explicitly trained) can be employed to infer a current and/or future context related to user. An identified or inferred user context can be employed to modify an automated or user-defined search input/query. Contextual cues can be considered directly in the construction and use of context of context-sensitive retrieval algorithms that are optimized for identifying and/or ranking of informational items of potential interest or value in different contexts. As well, the context can be employed to intelligently render results of a query (e.g., user/application defined, context-modified query).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Susan T. Dumais, Kyle G. Peltonen, Anoop Gupta, Bradly A. Brunell, William H. Gates, Gary W. Flake, Ramez Naam, Eric J. Horvitz, Xuedong D. Huang, John C. Platt, Oliver Hurst-Hiller, Trenholme J. Griffin, Joshua T. Goodman
  • Publication number: 20080005695
    Abstract: Content management architecture for a portable wireless device. Caching and fetching techniques are provided to improve content handling for portable devices such as cellular telephones and portable computers. A search component automatically performs searches as a background process, and potentially desired content is received and cached by a content storing component to be available in the future when and if needed, mitigating latency associated with slow download speeds, refresh rates, and other system and/or network impediments. Content from background search results can be trickled into the device as part of the background process so as not to burden system resources for other processes. As part of memory management, aged and/or low priority or low interest content can be selectively removed or archived to increase available cache or memory space, as well as to maintain relevant content within the device. A presentation component facilitates presentation of the pre-stored content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Raymond E. Ozzie, Eric J. Horvitz, William H. Gates, Joshua T. Goodman, Susan T. Dumais, Gary W. Flake, Trenholme J. Griffin, Xuedong D. Huang, Oliver Hurst-Hiller, Christopher A Meek
  • Publication number: 20080005264
    Abstract: The subject disclosure pertains to anonymous network interaction. More specifically, mechanisms are provided to ensure anonymity with respect network interaction such that third parties are unable to determine the source and/or intent of communications. Accordingly, entities can anonymize all outgoing and/or incoming data packets so as to mitigate outside entities from learning about information being sought and/or provided. For example, a user or corporation can employ an anonymizer with respect to web searching so that outside entities are not able to determine what information is attempted to be accessed and by whom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bradly A. Brunell, Susan T. Dumais, Joshua T. Goodman, Eric J. Horvitz, Gary Flake, Anoop Gupta, Christopher A. Meek, Ramez Naam, Kyle Peltonen
  • Publication number: 20070299815
    Abstract: Various embodiments can utilize information that is displayed for a user to automatically generate a list of keywords and use that list as a means to display supplemental information that is relevant to the keywords. In at least some embodiments, the displayed information is analyzed using an extraction algorithm to identify words or, more generally, character strings of interest. If these words or character strings of interest are determined to constitute relevant search terms or “keywords”, then a special user interface portion can be used to display this supplemental information along with the information that is already displayed for the user. This supplemental information can include the search terms themselves, ads that pertain to the search terms, and/or search results that have been ascertained from a web search engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2006
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Bryan T. Starbuck, Ojiakonobi Udezue, Stephen Lardieri, Manish M. Anand, Joshua T. Goodman, Alexei V. Bocharov
  • Publication number: 20070294402
    Abstract: An email server and systems and methods for providing requested data are provided. The email server is configured to automatically determine capabilities or version information of connecting client software on per account basis. The e-mail server is also configured to store the determined capabilities or version information, and to transmit the determined capabilities or version information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2006
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eliot C. Gillum, Joshua T. Goodman
  • Patent number: 7272853
    Abstract: The present invention involves a system and method that facilitate extracting data from messages for spam filtering. The extracted data can be in the form of features, which can be employed in connection with machine learning systems to build improved filters. Data associated with origination information as well as other information embedded in the body of the message that allows a recipient of the message to contact and/or respond to the sender of the message call be extracted as features. The features, or a subset thereof, can be normalized and/or deobfuscated prior to being employed as features of the machine learning systems. The (deobfuscated) features can be employed to populate a plurality of feature lists that facilitate spam detection and prevention. Exemplary features include an email address, an IP address, a URL, an embedded image pointing to a URL, and/or portions thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua T. Goodman, Robert L. Rounthwaite, Daniel Gwozdz, John D. Mehr, Nathan D. Howell, Micah C. Rupersburg, Bryan T. Starbuck
  • Patent number: 7254569
    Abstract: The present invention provides a unique system and method that can employ machine learning techniques to automatically fill one or more fields across a diverse array of web forms. In particular, one or more instrumented tools can collect input or entries of form fields. Machine learning can be used to learn what data corresponds to which fields or types of fields. The input can be sent to a central repository where other databases can be aggregated as well. This input can be provided to a machine learning system to learn how to predict the desired outputs. Alternatively or in addition, learning can be performed in part by observing entries and then adapting the autofill component accordingly. Furthermore, a number of features of database fields as well as constraints can be employed to facilitate assignments of database entries to form values—particularly when the web form has never been seen before by the autofill system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua T Goodman, Carl M Kadie, David M Chickering, Donald E Bradford, Dane A Glasgow
  • Patent number: 7249162
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system for filtering messages—the system includes a seed filter having associated therewith a false positive rate and a false negative rate. A new filter is also provided for filtering the messages, the new filter is evaluated according to the false positive rate and the false negative rate of the seed filter, the data used to determine the false positive rate and the false negative rate of the seed filter are utilized to determine a new false positive rate and a new false negative rate of the new filter as a function of threshold. The new filter is employed in lieu of the seed filter if a threshold exists for the new filter such that the new false positive rate and new false negative rate are together considered better than the false positive and the false negative rate of the seed filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Robert L. Rounthwaite, Joshua T. Goodman, David E. Heckerman, John C. Platt, Carl M. Kadie
  • Patent number: 7219035
    Abstract: The subject invention provides for systems and methods that facilitate optimizing one or mores sets of training data by utilizing an Exponential distribution as the prior on one or more parameters in connection with a maximum entropy (maxent) model to mitigate overfitting. Maxent is also known as logistic regression. More specifically, the systems and methods can facilitate optimizing probabilities that are assigned to the training data for later use in machine learning processes, for example. In practice, training data can be assigned their respective weights and then a probability distribution can be assigned to those weights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Joshua T. Goodman
  • Patent number: 7219148
    Abstract: The subject invention provides for a feedback loop system and method that facilitate classifying items in connection with spam prevention in server and/or client-based architectures. The invention makes uses of a machine-learning approach as applied to spam filters, and in particular, randomly samples incoming email messages so that examples of both legitimate and junk/spam mail are obtained to generate sets of training data. Users which are identified as spam-fighters are asked to vote on whether a selection of their incoming email messages is individually either legitimate mail or junk mail. A database stores the properties for each mail and voting transaction such as user information, message properties and content summary, and polling results for each message to generate training data for machine learning systems. The machine learning systems facilitate creating improved spam filter(s) that are trained to recognize both legitimate mail and spam mail and to distinguish between them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Robert L. Rounthwaite, Joshua T. Goodman, David E. Heckerman, John D. Mehr, Nathan D. Howell, Micah C. Rupersburg, Dean A. Slawson
  • Patent number: 7184929
    Abstract: The subject invention provides for systems and methods that facilitate optimizing one or mores sets of training data by utilizing an Exponential distribution as the prior on one or more parameters in connection with a maximum entropy (maxent) model to mitigate overfitting. Maxent is also known as logistic regression. More specifically, the systems and methods can facilitate optimizing probabilities that are assigned to the training data for later use in machine learning processes, for example. In practice, training data can be assigned their respective weights and then a probability distribution can be assigned to those weights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Joshua T. Goodman
  • Patent number: 7117144
    Abstract: Spell checking of a word corresponding to a typically numeric key sequence entered by the user using numeric keys or other reduced keyboards is disclosed. The spell checking is based on comparisons of the entered number sequences with number sequences within a dictionary, or number sequences for words within a dictionary. For a given entered number sequence, the number sequences of words in a dictionary, or the number sequences in the dictionary, are compared. Those having costs according to a metric not greater than a maximum cost are presented as the potential intended word of the user. The metric may be the minimum edit distance, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua T. Goodman, Gina D. Venolia
  • Patent number: 7103534
    Abstract: Determination of a word input on a reduced keypad, such as a numeric keypad, by entering a key sequence ambiguously corresponding to the word, by taking into account the context of the word via a machine learning approach, is disclosed. Either the left context, the right context, or the double-sided context of the number sequence can be used to determine the intended word. The machine learning approach can use a statistical language model, such as an n-gram language model. The compression of a language model for use with small devices, such as mobile phones and other types of small devices, is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Joshua T. Goodman
  • Publication number: 20040260922
    Abstract: The subject invention provides for an intelligent quarantining system and method that facilitates detecting and preventing spam. In particular, the invention employs a machine learning filter specifically trained using origination features such as an IP address as well as destination feature such as a URL. Moreover, the system and method involve training a plurality of filters using specific feature data for each filter. The filters are trained independently each other, thus one feature may not unduly influence another feature in determining whether a message is spam. Because multiple filters are trained and available to scan messages either individually or in combination (at least two filters), the filtering or spam detection process can be generalized to new messages having slightly modified features (e.g., IP address). The invention also involves locating the appropriate IP addresses or URLs in a message as well as guiding filters to weigh origination or destination features more than text-based features.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventors: Joshua T. Goodman, Robert L. Rounthwaite, Geoffrey J. Hulten, Wen-tau Yih
  • Publication number: 20040260776
    Abstract: The subject invention provides for an advanced and robust system and method that facilitates detecting spam. The system and method include components as well as other operations which enhance or promote finding characteristics that are difficult or the spammer to avoid and finding characteristics in non-spam that are difficult for spammers to duplicate. Exemplary characteristics include examining origination features in pairs analyzing character and/or number sequences, strings, and sub-strings, detecting various entropy levels of one or more character sequences, strings and/or sub-strings as well as analyzing message and/or feature sizes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2003
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventors: Bryan T. Starbuck, Robert L. Rounthwaite, David E. Heckerman, Joshua T. Goodman, Eliot C. Gillum, Nathan D. Howell, Kenneth R. Aldinger