Patents by Inventor Kenneth A. Koch

Kenneth A. Koch 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: 9388058
    Abstract: A system comprises an input, a brine chamber, a water softening chamber, and an output. One or more valves are configured to selectively prevent fluid communication of water from the input into the brine chamber; and to selectively permit communication of brine from the brine chamber to the water softening chamber when water is not being communicated through the input. The output is configured to output water softened in the water softening chamber. The one or more valves may include a first valve and a second valve. The first valve may be responsive to water being communicated through the input. The second valve may be responsive to either manual actuation or a fluid level in the brine chamber. The system may further include a cartridge that is removably coupled with the water softening chamber. The cartridge may contain salt and may further define the brine chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Inventor: Kenneth A. Koch
  • Patent number: 8918735
    Abstract: A virtual address bar user interface control is presented. The virtual address bar comprises an interactive address segment and a conventional address segment. The interactive address segment corresponds to a predefined filter comprising selection criteria applied to content stored on a storage device. Selection of the interactive address segment causes content satisfying the predefined filter to be displayed. The conventional address segment references content at the content's particular location within a hierarchical file system structure on the storage device. Selection of the conventional address segment causes the content stored at the particular location to be displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC.
    Inventors: J. Craig Hally, Jason F. Moore, Richard M. Banks, Patrice L. Miner, Kenneth A. Koch, Mark R. Ligameri, Shaun A. Kaasten, Michael Sheldon, David G. De Vorchik, Zeke B. Odins-Lucas
  • Publication number: 20140138321
    Abstract: A system comprises an input, a brine chamber, a water softening chamber, and an output. One or more valves are configured to selectively prevent fluid communication of water from the input into the brine chamber; and to selectively permit communication of brine from the brine chamber to the water softening chamber when water is not being communicated through the input. The output is configured to output water softened in the water softening chamber. The one or more valves may include a first valve and a second valve. The first valve may be responsive to water being communicated through the input. The second valve may be responsive to either manual actuation or a fluid level in the brine chamber. The system may further include a cartridge that is removably coupled with the water softening chamber. The cartridge may contain salt and may further define the brine chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Inventor: Kenneth A. Koch
  • Publication number: 20130263060
    Abstract: A virtual address bar user interface control is presented. The virtual address bar comprises an interactive address segment and a conventional address segment. The interactive address segment corresponds to a predefined filter comprising selection criteria applied to content stored on a storage device. Selection of the interactive address segment causes content satisfying the predefined filter to be displayed. The conventional address segment references content at the content's particular location within a hierarchical file system structure on the storage device. Selection of the conventional address segment causes the content stored at the particular location to be displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Inventors: J. CRAIG HALLY, JASON R. MOORE, RICHARD M. BANKS, PATRICE L. MINER, KENNETH A. KOCH, MARK A. LIGAMERI, SHAUN A. KAASTEN, MICHAEL SHELDON, DAVID G. DE VORCHIK, ZEKE B. ODINS-LUCAS
  • Patent number: 8516387
    Abstract: A virtual address bar user interface control is presented. The virtual address bar comprises one or more interactive address segments and one or more conventional address segments. Each interactive address segment corresponds to a predefined filter comprising selection criteria applied to content stored on a storage device. Selection of the one or more interactive address segments navigates a user to content satisfying the predefined filters of the one or more selected interactive address segments. Each conventional address segment references content at the content's particular location on the storage device. Selection of the one or more conventional address segments navigates the user to content at the content's particular location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: J. Craig Hally, Kenneth A. Koch, Mark R. Ligameri, Jason R. Moore, Shaun A. Kaasten, Richard M. Banks, Michael Sheldon, David G. De Vorchik, Zeke B. Odins-Lucas, Patrice L. Miner
  • Publication number: 20120266099
    Abstract: A virtual address bar user interface control is presented. The virtual address bar comprises one or more interactive address segments and one or more conventional address segments. Each interactive address segment corresponds to a predefined filter comprising selection criteria applied to content stored on a storage device. Selection of the one or more interactive address segments navigates a user to content satisfying the predefined filters of the one or more selected interactive address segments. Each conventional address segment references content at the content's particular location on the storage device. Selection of the one or more conventional address segments navigates the user to content at the content's particular location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: J. CRAIG HALLY, KENNETH A. KOCH, MARK R. LIGAMERI, JASON R. MOORE, SHAUN A. KAASTEN, RICHARD M. BANKS, MICHAEL SHELDON, DAVID G. DE VORCHIK, ZEKE B. ODINS-LUCAS, PATRICE L. MINER
  • Patent number: 8209624
    Abstract: A virtual address bar user interface control is presented. The virtual address bar includes a plurality of interactive segments, each segment corresponding to a predetermined filter for selecting content in a computer file system. Collectively, the interactive segments represent a virtual address for selecting content. Selecting an interactive segment in the virtual address bar causes those segments subsequent to the selected segment to be removed from the virtual address bar. A user may select a peer filter for a segment to replace that segment's current filter and removes those segments subsequent to the updated segment. The virtual address bar can be selectively configured to operate as a conventional address bar, and reconfigured to operate as a virtual address bar. Additional filter segments are added to the end of the existing filter segments. Those existing filter segments that conflict with the added segment are removed from the virtual address bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: J. Craig Hally, Kenneth A. Koch, Mark R. Ligameri, Jason F. Moore, Shaun A. Kaasten, Richard M. Banks, Michael Sheldon, David G. De Vorchik, Zeke B. Odins-Lucas, Patrice L. Miner
  • Publication number: 20080290009
    Abstract: A water softening device comprises a salt chamber, a metering chamber, and a softening chamber. The salt chamber holds salt, while the metering chamber holds brine. The softening chamber holds water softening material, such as zeolite beads. An input is in fluid communication with the salt chamber for producing brine. The input may be coupled with a shower outlet or other structure. An output is in fluid communication with the softening chamber to communicate softened water from the system through a shower head or other device. The salt chamber and metering chamber may be positioned such that the salt chamber communicates brine upwardly into the metering chamber against the influence of gravity. The salt chamber may be positioned lateral to the softening chamber. The metering chamber may be substantially fluidly isolated from the softening chamber as water is communicated from the input to the softening chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Inventor: Kenneth A. Koch
  • Patent number: 7240292
    Abstract: A virtual address bar user interface control is presented. The virtual address bar includes a plurality of interactive segments, each segment corresponding to a predetermined filter for selecting content in a computer file system. Collectively, the interactive segments represent a virtual address for selecting content. Selecting an interactive segment in the virtual address bar causes those segments subsequent to the selected segment to be removed from the virtual address bar. A user may select a peer filter for a segment to replace that segment's current filter and removes those segments subsequent to the updated segment. The virtual address bar can be selectively configured to operate as a conventional address bar, and reconfigured to operate as a virtual address bar. Additional filter segments are added to the end of the existing filter segments. Those existing filter segments that conflict with the added segment are removed from the virtual address bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: J. Craig Hally, Kenneth A. Koch, Mark R. Ligameri, Jason F. Moore, Shaun A. Kaasten, Richard M. Banks, Michael Sheldon, David G. De Vorchik, Zeke B. Odins-Lucas, Patrice L. Miner
  • Publication number: 20040207666
    Abstract: A virtual address bar user interface control is presented. The virtual address bar includes a plurality of interactive segments, each segment corresponding to a predetermined filter for selecting content in a computer file system. Collectively, the interactive segments represent a virtual address for selecting content. Selecting an interactive segment in the virtual address bar causes those segments subsequent to the selected segment to be removed from the virtual address bar. A user may select a peer filter for a segment to replace that segment's current filter and removes those segments subsequent to the updated segment. The virtual address bar can be selectively configured to operate as a conventional address bar, and reconfigured to operate as a virtual address bar. Additional filter segments are added to the end of the existing filter segments. Those existing filter segments that conflict with the added segment are removed from the virtual address bar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2003
    Publication date: October 21, 2004
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: J. Craig Hally, Kenneth A. Koch, Mark R. Ligameri, Jason F. Moore, Shaun A. Kaasten, Richard M. Banks, Michael Sheldon, David G. De Vorchik, Zeke B. Odins-Lucas, Patrice L. Miner