Patents by Inventor Lili Cheng

Lili Cheng 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: 20130006748
    Abstract: Various embodiments are described for systems and methods for facilitating data sharing between a user of a client device and an online service. The system may include a module configured to display a graphical display of data sharing specifications on the client device. The graphical display may include one or more user-adjustable privacy setting selectors configured to receive input of user-selected privacy level selections. Each of the privacy level selections may be associated with a report of the probability that data attributes will be captured and used and/or with other measures such as the size of the set of people that are identifiable from the revelation. Data attributes may include a data type, a data use purpose, a data use timeframe, and a data storage timeframe. The graphical display may further include a consent selector configured to receive consent from the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric Horvitz, Lili Cheng
  • Publication number: 20130006754
    Abstract: Various embodiments are described for computerized advertising systems and methods. The system may include an ad server that includes an impression campaign engine configured to associate a target user profile with a plurality of computing devices. The ad server is also configured to receive a multi-step impression plan including a plurality of triggers from an advertiser. Each trigger is associated with a different advertisement to be served to at least one of the plurality of devices. The system also includes an ad serving engine configured to serve a first advertisement to a first device in response to making an inference from sensors or detecting a first trigger, and a second advertisement to a second device in response to a second inference or detecting a second trigger, according to the impression plan. A predictive model developed from machine learning may be used to develop a learning-based multi-step impression plan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric Horvitz, Lili Cheng, Roger Barga, Xuedong Huang, Zachary Apter, Semiha Ece Kamar
  • Publication number: 20130006738
    Abstract: Systems and methods for distributing shared electronic coupons are provided. According to one aspect, the electronic coupon may include a coupon benefit display region displaying a textual and/or graphical representation of a coupon benefit. The electronic coupon may further include a candidate display region displaying a list of one or more friends of the user who are determined to be redeemer candidates from among friends in a social network profile or address book of the user. Each redeemer candidate friend in the list has an associated selector, and selection by the user of a selector corresponding to a friend causes the client device to send a message to a coupon server to instruct the coupon server to send the electronic coupon to a client device of the selected friend. Predictive models generated through machine learning may aid in selecting the user to which coupons are distributed and the redeemer candidates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric Horvitz, Roger Barga, Lili Cheng, Doug Burger, Vinay Gupta, Xuedong Huang, Zachary Apter
  • Publication number: 20130006739
    Abstract: A marketplace server and method for facilitating purchase transactions are provided. A marketplace server may include a routing engine configured to receive an order for goods from a first computing device associated with a first customer, with the order including a first delivery address of the customer. The routing engine also calculates a delivery route to the first delivery address. An offer engine is configured to create an offer for other goods. The offer includes a shipping incentive associated with a second delivery address of a second customer. The offer may be targeted to the second customer based on a proximity of the second delivery address to the delivery route. The offer engine sends the offer to a second computing device associated with the second customer. Upon receiving an acceptance of the offer from the computing device, the offer engine processes a purchase transaction for the offer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric Horvitz, Gur Kimchi, Lili Cheng, Doug Burger, Stelios Paparizos, Marc Davis
  • Patent number: 8341405
    Abstract: A system that can assist users to manage a personal active directory for all of their information maintained within a cloud-based environment is provided. The identity of a client that accesses data is monitored and recorded in a log. In turn, this information can be made available to the owner of the information in order to develop a desired access control list (ACL). Additionally, the system can employ a heuristic component that can automatically establish the ACL on the owner's behalf. As well, the system can track how information is being accessed (or attempted to be accessed) by other people therefore, giving the owner of the information the opportunity to restrict or allow access based upon any number of recorded factors (e.g., identity, context).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Henricus Johannes Maria Meijer, William H. Gates, III, Lili Cheng, Daniel S. Glasser, Ira L Snyder, Jr., Melora Zaner-Godsey
  • Publication number: 20120323686
    Abstract: A computing system and method for managing an identity of a user are provided. A server may be configured to communicate with each of a plurality of client devices in corresponding request and response streams. An inference engine is configured to monitor the request and response streams for identifying factors that distinguish each of the plurality of client devices from other of the plurality of client devices. Upon detecting one or more of the identifying factors for each of the two or more client devices that match within a threshold probability, the inference engine makes an inference that two or more of the plurality of client devices are used by the user. Based upon the inference, the inference engine creates a virtual identity record at the server linking the two or more client devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Doug Burger, Lili Cheng, Xuedong Huang, Stelios Paparizos
  • Publication number: 20120323627
    Abstract: The subject disclosure is directed towards a real-time or near real-time sentiment monitoring service. A set of rules such as keywords and data sources to crawl is provided to the monitoring service, which crawls the sources to obtain sentiment-related data for an entity, such as a corporation or product. Content items may be selected from the crawled data, and/or the data may be analyzed to provide results. The results may be displayed, such as on a content page, to quickly view the public's sentiment regarding the entity. The rules may be dynamically modified by a user or collaborating users to tune monitoring of the entity as desired, e.g., to obtain more relevant results.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Russell Allen Herring, JR., James H. Lewallen, Todd D. Newman, David S. Taniguchi, Lili Cheng
  • Patent number: 8316315
    Abstract: A system and method for generating a highlight view of electronic interactions, such as, emails, instant messages, audio messages and/or video messages is provided. The highlight view can facilitate a user's understanding of the electronic interactions. The electronic interactions can comprise emails associated with conversation threads of a discussion list posted and/or received by a plurality of users. The highlight view system can include, for a given period of time, a list of participants in the discussion list, a list of conversation threads and/or a linear progression of one or more of the conversation threads. The linear progression of one or more conversation threads can include signal word(s), such as, “stated, “asked”, “responded”, “wrapped up”, “disagreed”, “agreed” etc. that facilitate a user's comprehension of the individual e-mails which form the conversation thread. An electronic interactions highlight system can include an input component that receives electronic interactions (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: William L. Portnoy, Lili Cheng, Scott J. Counts
  • Publication number: 20120290605
    Abstract: When a user enters an information retrieval query, a topic feed is generated for publication or distribution to a set of followers or recipients who have elected to receive the topic feed from the user or based on the subject matter content of the query. The topic feed is distributed and includes the query. Experts in subject matter can be identified based on the user's queries and other text in the topic feed that the followers interact with.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Steven Ickman, Thomas Matthew Laird-McConnell, William Lawrence Portnoy, Christopher McConnell, Lili Cheng, David Arthur Raskino, Gregory Scott Melander
  • Publication number: 20120290603
    Abstract: When a user enters an information retrieval query, topic feed is generated for publication or distribution to a set of followers or recipients who have elected to receive the topic feed from the user or based on the subject matter content of the query. The topic feed is distributed and includes the query. The user's interests are tracked based on text in the user's queries and other text in the topic feed that the user interacts with.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2011
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Steven Ickman, Thomas Matthew Laird-McConnell, William Lawrence Portnoy, Christopher McConnell, Lili Cheng, David Arthur Raskino, Gregory Scott Melander
  • Publication number: 20120290549
    Abstract: When a user enters an information retrieval query, a topic feed generator automatically generates a topic feed for publication or distribution to a set of followers or recipients who have elected to receive the topic feed from the user or based on the subject matter content of the query. A feed distributor component automatically distributes the topic feed, which includes the query, to the identified recipients. A search component executes the search and returns results, corresponding to the query, to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2011
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Steven Ickman, Thomas Matthew Laird-McConnell, William Lawrence Portnoy, Christopher McConnell, Lili Cheng, David Arthur Raskino, Gregory Scott Melander
  • Publication number: 20120284245
    Abstract: A dynamic digital montage system assists a user in creating and publishing a montage about one or more specified topics. The system receives an identification of one or more topics of interest from the user, and based on the subject information, collects data from dynamic and static data sources for display in dedicated sections of a montage. The data is presented in one of a number of predefined but editable layouts for presentation to a user. In one implementation, at least one of the montage components is associated with a dynamic data source and is updated when new data is provided by the dynamic data source. In another implementation, the data sources attached to the montage components are analyzed on a periodic basis, and based on the analysis, data source assignments and/or the montage layout is revised.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: William Portnoy, Richard Zaragoza, Matthew Bret MacLaurin, Craig Jensen, Richard Daniel Marshall, Bradley Gibson, Tom Laird-McConnell, Steve Ickman, David Raskino, Lili Cheng
  • Publication number: 20120268489
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to an architecture or extension to a window manager. In particular, the extension can provide for a window rotation feature that can be exposed as a rotate button. Additionally or alternatively, the rotation feature can be activated based upon a diverse set of conditions, events, and/or commands. Upon activation of the rotation feature, the window manager can rotate a window about an axis to expose a secondary surface that can be populated with alternative content that is distinct from the content of the primary surface of the window. In addition, the architecture provides techniques for identifying both double-sided graphical objects and potentially double-sided objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: ERIC J. HORVITZ, DAVID M. CHICKERING, GARY W. FLAKE, LILI CHENG, ALEXANDER G. GOUNARES
  • Publication number: 20120269864
    Abstract: The present invention is a compound of formula (I) or formula (II) which are suitable as NP-1 antagonists.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Inventors: Haiyan Jia, Ian ZACHARY, Michelle TICKNER, Lili CHENG, Chris CHAPMAN, Katie ELLARD, Basil HARTZOULAKIS, Ashley JARVIS, Rosemary LYNCH, Jamie NALLY, David SELWOOD, Mark STEWART
  • Publication number: 20120265433
    Abstract: A suggestive mapping device may predict, suggest, and/or provide potential destinations to a user. Additionally, the device may store historical location data of the user, determine a travel vector of the user, and predict the destination of the user based at least in part on the historical location data and/or the travel vector. Further, the device may provide hands-free maps to destinations when the user does not know the address at least by receiving contextual data of the user and/or contextual data of the user's contacts. Such hands-free, suggestive mapping devices may facilitate more effective navigation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Paul A. Viola, Zhaowei Jiang, John C. Krumm, Matthew Graham Dyor, Eric J. Horvitz, Lili Cheng
  • Publication number: 20120233209
    Abstract: A unified search service may collect information related to an enterprise from at least one of publicly available data and private enterprise data. In some implementations, crowd sourcing may be used to determine a source list of one or more sources of information. Authored content can be generated, such as by combining one or more items of information from the public data with one or more items of information from the private enterprise data. Further, in some implementations, a public index may be generated from the public data, and one or more affiliation indexes may be generated from the private enterprise data. For example, a first affiliation index may contain confidential enterprise information, while a second affiliation index may contain non-confidential enterprise information. A user's affiliation to the enterprise may be taken into consideration when determining which indexes to use when responding to a search request from the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Lili Cheng, Xuedong David Huang, Heung-Yeung Shum, Erik J. Horvitz, James H. Lewallen, Todd D. Newman, David S. Taniguchi
  • Publication number: 20120226995
    Abstract: Techniques for content customization with security for client preferences are described herein. The techniques describe the customization of content provided by websites according to preferences, such as the interests, “likes” and demographic and/or geographic information of users. Additional techniques describe aspects of keeping the users' preferences secure from the website, so that the users' privacy and anonymity are protected. In one implementation, a “trusted entity” is trusted by users to obtain and store the preferences. Content may be obtained by the trusted entity from a content provider, such as a website. The content may be changed according to the preferences. The content is then provided to the users. In view of the changes made by the trusted entity, the user enjoys a customized version of the content. Additional techniques describe limits to customization, based on permissible customizations and frameworks generated by the content providers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2011
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Gur Kimchi, Matthew Graham Dyor, Lili Cheng, Richard J. Qian, Marc Eliot Davis, Steven William Macbeth
  • Publication number: 20120209715
    Abstract: A computing device may be configured to allow a shopper to interact with one or more displays in a retail environment. A perception device may detect human actions in the retail environment and the shopper may be able to use human movements to navigate through retail data and have it displayed on the display device in the retail environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2011
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gilad Lotan, George Moromisato, Paresh Suthar, Florin Gale, Lili Cheng, Jack Ozzie
  • Patent number: 8239293
    Abstract: The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can facilitate auditing of a customer's possessions in a comprehensive manner. The architecture can facilitate the creation of a media archive of a customer's property, as well as an associated property list extracted based upon, e.g., examination of the archive. The property list can include an entry associated with an item of property and can be transmitted to subsidizing entities to offset the expenses associated with the creation of the archive and the property list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Gounares, David M. Chickering, Eric J. Horvitz, Michael Connolly, Lili Cheng, Kamal Jain
  • Patent number: 8239885
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to an architecture or extension to a window manager. In particular, the extension can provide for a window rotation feature that can be exposed as a rotate button. Additionally or alternatively, the rotation feature can be activated based upon a diverse set of conditions, events, and/or commands. Upon activation of the rotation feature, the window manager can rotate a window about an axis to expose a secondary surface that can be populated with alternative content that is distinct from the content of the primary surface of the window. In addition, the architecture provides techniques for identifying both double-sided graphical objects and potentially double-sided objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Eric J. Horvitz, Gary W. Flake, Alexander G. Gounares, Lili Cheng, David M. Chickering