Patents by Inventor Kenneth Fern

Kenneth Fern 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: 11340769
    Abstract: Inline document collaboration workflows are provided. When a user receives an electronic communication that includes an attached content item, the receiving user may select the attached content item and cause the attached content item to be displayed in an immersive view in proximity to an electronic communication pane in which an electronic communication may be conducted about any topic including the content item that is displayed in proximity to the electronic communication pane. During editing of a content item, an electronic communication may be generated from a user interface in which the content item is being generated, or alternatively a new content item may be generated out of an electronic communications user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Masterson, Jeremy de Souza, Jin Ma, Elena Catrinescu, Nathan Waddoups, Kenneth Fern, David Paul Limont, David Lloyd Meyers, Jr., Michael B. Palmer
  • Patent number: 11301121
    Abstract: Inline document collaboration workflows are provided. When a user receives an electronic communication that includes an attached content item, the receiving user may select the attached content item and cause the attached content item to be displayed in an immersive view in proximity to an electronic communication pane in which an electronic communication may be conducted about any topic including the content item that is displayed in proximity to the electronic communication pane. During editing of a content item, an electronic communication may be generated from a user interface in which the content item is being generated, or alternatively a new content item may be generated out of an electronic communications user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Masterson, Jeremy de Souza, Jin Ma, Elena Catrinescu, Nathan Waddoups, Kenneth Fern, David Paul Limont, David Lloyd Meyers, Jr., Michael B. Palmer
  • Patent number: 10917370
    Abstract: Electronic communication-based storage of content items to support multiple workflows is provided. When an attached content item is received with an electronic communication, a receiving user may select the attached content item for review and editing in an immersive view pane that may be launched adjacent to or in proximity to an electronic mail viewing pane. When the received content item is edited, a copy of the edited content item is temporarily stored with the electronic communication with which the content item was received at an associated electronic communication server. When the receiving user then desires to dispose of the edited content item, for example, by replying back to the sending user with the edited content item as an attachment, the edited content item may be retrieved from the electronic communication server automatically for attachment to the responsive communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Masterson, Jeremy de Souza, Nathan Waddoups, Russell L. Simpson, Jr., Michael B. Palmer, Jin Ma, Elena Catrinescu, Kenneth Fern
  • Patent number: 10769350
    Abstract: Enhanced links in a message composition surface are described. A uniform resource locator (URL) may be identified while a user is composing a message in a message composition surface of an electronic message such as an email. A source of the URL and the file type of the document linked to by the URL can be determined and a preview of the document can be rendered in the message composition surface. When the source is a cloud storage location, access permissions for the document can be adjusted from within email—without the user navigating to a file management site of the cloud storage. When the file type is a productivity application, a link rendering element can call a productivity application service to provide interaction functionality for the productivity application file and facilitate the rendering of the productivity application file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: David Lloyd Meyers, Jr., David Paul Limont, Kenneth Fern, Michael Palmer, Betsy Yu-pui McIntyre, Mirela Correa
  • Patent number: 10769365
    Abstract: A document history interface provides a visual document history. In particular, document history application provides for tracking, storing and presenting events occurring over a document lifecycle to provide a robust interface for visualizing and accessing the document's history. In aspects, an interactive document timeline with a scroll control is provided to roll back through the document history. The interactive document timeline includes visual indicators for events that occurred during the document lifecycle, including but not limited to authoring events, communication events, and document branching events. A play control is further provided with the interactive document timeline such that a time-lapse rendition of events occurring over the document history may be displayed. In some aspects, upon scrolling to particular points along the interactive document timeline, legacy versions of the document may be saved as new documents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth Fern, Alexander Darrow, Joseph Masterson
  • Patent number: 10733373
    Abstract: A document history interface provides a visual document history. In particular, document history application provides for tracking, storing and presenting events occurring over a document lifecycle to provide a robust interface for visualizing and accessing the document's history. In aspects, an interactive document timeline with a scroll control is provided to roll back through the document history. The interactive document timeline includes visual indicators for events that occurred during the document lifecycle, including but not limited to authoring events, communication events, and document branching events. A play control is further provided with the interactive document timeline such that a time-lapse rendition of events occurring over the document history may be displayed. In some aspects, upon scrolling to particular points along the interactive document timeline, legacy versions of the document may be saved as new documents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth Fern, Alexander Darrow, Joseph Masterson
  • Patent number: 10725622
    Abstract: An attachment control to manage attachments in a conversation is provided. An application such as a communication application displays a conversation of grouped messages in response to a detection of a selection of a message summary associated with one of the grouped messages. An attachment control is generated to manage identified attachments in the grouped messages. The attachment control is displayed in proximity to the conversation. An attachment drop down menu that includes a listing of the attachments is displayed in response to an activation of the attachment control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Joey Masterson, Kenneth Fern, David Paul Limont, Hayley Steplyk
  • Patent number: 10725632
    Abstract: Techniques for providing an in-place contextual menu and user interface for email and other information management system triage are provided in which a contextual menu can be overlaid or replace an item on a view screen. The contextual menu can provide action commands specific to the type and state of the items selected in the feature view of the email or other information management system. A single recognized selection input, such as a swipe gesture, selects an item and invokes an in-place contextual menu presenting actions that can be asserted on the selected item. Multiple item selection is available through the same invocation of presenting the in-place contextual menu.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey K. Feiereisen, Yung-Cheng Chen, Ryan Thomas Murphy, Eva Britta Karolina Burlin, Michael Anthony Faoro, Kenneth Fern, Michael R. Gow, Chao-Chung Lin, Joseph McLaughlin
  • Patent number: 10698591
    Abstract: An adaptive layout and workflow engine. The adaptive layout and workflow engine allows various applications to dynamically render scaled views of content based on the characteristics of the display on the device being used to consume the content. The adaptive layout and workflow engine may select an appropriate view of the content to render based on the size, resolution, or aspect ratio of the display. The rendered size of the content and/or the user interface of the content application is evaluated relative to the characteristics of the display. Embodiments may provide different controls via the user interfaces based on the characteristics of the display and/or content. The adaptive layout and workflow engine may provide customized work flows via the user interface to improve the user experience depending on the display capabilities of the device used to consume the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Masterson, Jeremy de Souza, Jin Ma, Elena Catrinescu, Nathan Waddoups, Kenneth Fern, David Lloyd Meyers, Jr., David Paul Limont, Michael B. Palmer
  • Patent number: 10650085
    Abstract: An interactive preview of a content within a communication is provided. An application such as a communication application retrieves metadata of a content from a content provider, in response to a detection of an insertion of a link of the content into a message. An interactive preview of the content is generated based on the metadata. The interactive preview provides actions to manage the interactive preview and the content. The interactive preview is inserted into the message in proximity to the link. Custom operations associated with the actions are executed in response to a transmission of the message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Joey Masterson, Kenneth Fern, Rebecca Lawler, Hayley Steplyk
  • Patent number: 10627976
    Abstract: Controlling notifications based on an importance of the notifications to users is described. A service provider can receive notifications. The service provider can determine an order for sending the notifications based partly on priority levels assigned to the notifications and positions associated with presentations of the notifications. The service provider can send a first notification to at least one device in a first period of time. The service provider can determine that sending a second notification causes a conflict with a presentation policy. Accordingly, the service provider can determine a second period of time subsequent to the first period of time to send the second notification to the at least one device based partly on a lapse of a predetermined amount of time and/or an occurrence of an event, and can send the second notification to the at least one device in the second period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Zohaib H. Ali, Kenneth Fern, Sara Manning L. M. Dawson, Joseph Masterson, Srinivasa Reddy Manda, Eduardo Da Fonseca Melo, Jun Yan
  • Patent number: 10586211
    Abstract: Systems and methods for creating a collaborative object are provided. A collaborative object may be associated with a user interface that enables one or more users to interact regarding various tasks during the planning and execution of a project. In aspects, the collaborative object may include a task list, an associated document, compiled information and/or communications related to a project. In further aspects, the collaborative object, along with associated information, may be shared with other users as a resource for future projects. Permissions may be set on a collaborative object such that recipients may be allowed varying access to the task list, document, compiled materials and/or communications associated with the collaborative object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Hayley Lynn Steplyk, Kathleen Rae Thompson, Kenneth Fern, David Paul Limont, Joseph Patrick Masterson, Darren Alexander Apfel, Rebecca Jean Lawler
  • Publication number: 20190372922
    Abstract: Electronic communication-based storage of content items to support multiple workflows is provided. When an attached content item is received with an electronic communication, a receiving user may select the attached content item for review and editing in an immersive view pane that may be launched adjacent to or in proximity to an electronic mail viewing pane. When the received content item is edited, a copy of the edited content item is temporarily stored with the electronic communication with which the content item was received at an associated electronic communication server. When the receiving user then desires to dispose of the edited content item, for example, by replying back to the sending user with the edited content item as an attachment, the edited content item may be retrieved from the electronic communication server automatically for attachment to the responsive communication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Joseph Masterson, Jeremy de Souza, Nathan Waddoups, Russell L. Simpson, JR., Michael B. Palmer, Jin Ma, Elena Catrinescu, Kenneth Fern
  • Patent number: 10466882
    Abstract: Automatic uploading of electronic communication attachments to a collaborative storage location for enabling efficient co-authoring among a group of users is provided. When an electronic communication item is received that contains an attached content item, a user may select the content item for review and/or editing. A communication (e.g., a responsive email message) may be automatically created and may include an attachment pointer to direct recipients of the communication to the location at which the edited content item will be stored at a collaborative group storage location. The communication may also include a posting for notifying recipients of the communication that the associated content item has been edited and by whom the content item was edited. Recipients of the communication may then locate the edited content item and may begin reviewing and/or editing the stored content item in a collaborative co-authoring environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Masterson, Nathan Waddoups, Mirela Correa, Kenneth Fern, David Lloyd Meyers, Jr., David Paul Limont, Jin Ma
  • Publication number: 20190324604
    Abstract: An attachment control to manage attachments in a conversation is provided. An application such as a communication application displays a conversation of grouped messages in response to a detection of a selection of a message summary associated with one of the grouped messages. An attachment control is generated to manage identified attachments in the grouped messages. The attachment control is displayed in proximity to the conversation. An attachment drop down menu that includes a listing of the attachments is displayed in response to an activation of the attachment control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: Joey MASTERSON, Kenneth FERN, David Paul LIMONT, Hayley STEPLYK
  • Patent number: 10404637
    Abstract: Electronic communication-based storage of content items to support multiple workflows is provided. When an attached content item is received with an electronic communication, a receiving user may select the attached content item for review and editing in an immersive view pane that may be launched adjacent to or in proximity to an electronic mail viewing pane. When the received content item is edited, a copy of the edited content item is temporarily stored with the electronic communication with which the content item was received at an associated electronic communication server. When the receiving user then desires to dispose of the edited content item, for example, by replying back to the sending user with the edited content item as an attachment, the edited content item may be retrieved from the electronic communication server automatically for attachment to the responsive communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Masterson, Jeremy de Souza, Nathan Waddoups, Russell L. Simpson, Jr., Michael B. Palmer, Jin Ma, Elena Catrinescu, Kenneth Fern
  • Patent number: 10379702
    Abstract: An attachment control to manage attachments in a conversation is provided. An application such as a communication application displays a conversation of grouped messages in response to a detection of a selection of a message summary associated with one of the grouped messages. An attachment control is generated to manage identified attachments in the grouped messages. The attachment control is displayed in proximity to the conversation. An attachment drop down menu that includes a listing of the attachments is displayed in response to an activation of the attachment control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Joey Masterson, Kenneth Fern, David Paul Limont, Hayley Steplyk
  • Publication number: 20180075093
    Abstract: A document sharing system includes a plurality of different data provider implementations. The document sharing system exposes a common application programming interface to a plurality of different clients and receives data requests identifying a given data provider, from the clients. The document sharing system then uses the data provider implementation for the data provider identified in the request, in order to obtain the requested data, and place it in a common data structure that is returned to the client.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventors: David L. Meyers, Michael B. Palmer, Betsy Y. McIntyre, Mirela D.S. Correa, David P. Limont, Kenneth Fern
  • Publication number: 20170364866
    Abstract: Systems and methods for creating a collaborative object are provided. A collaborative object may be associated with a user interface that enables one or more users to interact regarding various tasks during the planning and execution of a project. In aspects, the collaborative object may include a task list, an associated document, compiled information and/or communications related to a project. In further aspects, the collaborative object, along with associated information, may be shared with other users as a resource for future projects. Permissions may be set on a collaborative object such that recipients may be allowed varying access to the task list, document, compiled materials and/or communications associated with the collaborative object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Hayley Lynn Steplyk, Kathleen Rae Thompson, Kenneth Fern, David Paul Limont, Joseph Patrick Masterson, Darren Alexander Apfel, Rebecca Jean Lawler
  • Publication number: 20170329495
    Abstract: Techniques for providing an in-place contextual menu and user interface for email and other information management system triage are provided in which a contextual menu can be overlaid or replace an item on a view screen. The contextual menu can provide action commands specific to the type and state of the items selected in the feature view of the email or other information management system. A single recognized selection input, such as a swipe gesture, selects an item and invokes an in-place contextual menu presenting actions that can be asserted on the selected item. Multiple item selection is available through the same invocation of presenting the in-place contextual menu.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Inventors: Jeffrey K. Feiereisen, Yung-Cheng Chen, Ryan Thomas Murphy, Eva Britta Karolina Burlin, Michael Anthony Faoro, Kenneth Fern, Michael R. Gow, Chao-Chung Lin, Joseph McLaughlin