Patents by Inventor Lintao Zhang

Lintao Zhang 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: 8959077
    Abstract: Subject matter described herein includes a multi-layer search-engine index. Accordingly, the search-engine index is divided into multiple indexes, each of which includes a respective set of information used to serve (i.e., respond to) a query. One index includes a term index, which organizes a set of terms that are found among a collection of documents. Another index includes a document index, which organizes a set of documents that are searchable. A computing device is used to serve the search-engine index (i.e., to analyze the index when identifying documents relevant to a search query). For example, a solid-state device might be used to serve the multi-layer search-engine index.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Hui Shen, Mao Yang, Lintao Zhang, Zhenyu Zhao, Xiao Wu, Ying Yan, Xiaosong Yang, Chad Walters, Choong Soon Chang
  • Patent number: 8671396
    Abstract: Architecture employs an iterative process that incrementally discovers inter-component interactions and explores local state spaces within each component. Thus, the architecture lazily constructs the behavior of the environment of a component in the target software system, and integrates the construction of the inter-component interactions with the model checking process itself, and hence, does not need to eagerly construct the interface process. Component-based state space reduction is applied during the exploration of the whole system. The architecture decomposes a target software system into a set of loosely coupled components where interactions between the components tend to be significantly simpler than interactions within each component. An iterative algorithm facilitates the component-based state space reduction, which is exponential, on the real large-scale software systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Ming Wu, Huayang Guo, Yi Yang, Gang Hu, Lintao Zhang, Lidong Zhou, Tisheng Chen
  • Patent number: 8560509
    Abstract: Architecture that performs incremental computing for web searches by employing methods at least for storing the results of repeat queries on unchanged webpages and for computing results for the repeated queries. The architecture includes one or more algorithms for pre-computing query results on index servers, for only selectively choosing index servers whose result for a query change for a query computation process, and for re-using the unchanged web pages stored in the cache and computing results upon changed index and unchanged index separately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Zenglin Xia, Ningyi Xu, Lintao Zhang, Bojun Huang, Mao Yang, Lang Zong, Feng-Hsiung Hsu
  • Publication number: 20130013587
    Abstract: Architecture that performs incremental computing for web searches by employing methods at least for storing the results of repeat queries on unchanged webpages and for computing results for the repeated queries. The architecture includes one or more algorithms for pre-computing query results on index servers, for only selectively choosing index servers whose result for a query change for a query computation process, and for re-using the unchanged web pages stored in the cache and computing results upon changed index and unchanged index separately.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Zenglin Xia, Ningyi Xu, Lintao Zhang, Bojun Huang, Mao Yang, Lang Zong, Feng-Hsiung Hsu
  • Publication number: 20120311542
    Abstract: Architecture employs an iterative process that incrementally discovers inter-component interactions and explores local state spaces within each component. Thus, the architecture lazily constructs the behavior of the environment of a component in the target software system, and integrates the construction of the inter-component interactions with the model checking process itself, and hence, does not need to eagerly construct the interface process. Component-based state space reduction is applied during the exploration of the whole system. The architecture decomposes a target software system into a set of loosely coupled components where interactions between the components tend to be significantly simpler than interactions within each component. An iterative algorithm facilitates the component-based state space reduction, which is exponential, on the real large-scale software systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ming Wu, Huayang Guo, Yi Yang, Gang Hu, Lintao Zhang, Lidong Zhou, Tisheng Chen
  • Patent number: 8316448
    Abstract: Methods and architectures for automatic filter generation are described. In an embodiment, these filters are generated in order to block inputs which would otherwise disrupt the normal functioning of a program. An initial set of filter conditions is generated by analyzing the path of a program from a point at which a bad input is received to the point at which the malfunctioning of the program is detected and creating conditions on an input which ensure that this path is followed. Having generated the initial set of filter conditions, the set is made less specific by determining which instructions do not influence whether the point of detection of the attack is reached and removing the filter conditions which correspond to these instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Marcus Peinado, Manuel Costa, Miguel Castro, Lidong Zhou, Lintao Zhang
  • Publication number: 20120271813
    Abstract: Subject matter described herein includes a multi-layer search-engine index. Accordingly, the search-engine index is divided into multiple indexes, each of which includes a respective set of information used to serve (i.e., respond to) a query. One index includes a term index, which organizes a set of terms that are found among a collection of documents. Another index includes a document index, which organizes a set of documents that are searchable. A computing device is used to serve the search-engine index (i.e., to analyze the index when identifying documents relevant to a search query). For example, a solid-state device might be used to serve the multi-layer search-engine index.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Inventors: HUI SHEN, Mao Yang, Lintao Zhang, Zhenyu Zhao, Xiao Wu, Ying Yan, Xiaosong Yang, Chad Walters, Choong Soon Chang
  • Patent number: 8131660
    Abstract: A hardware accelerator is provided for Boolean constraint propagation (BCP) using field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for use in solving the Boolean satisfiability problem (SAT). An inference engine may perform implications. Block RAM (BRAM) may be used to store SAT instance information. Computation may be co-located with the BRAM memory, taking advantage of the high on-chip bandwidth and low latency of an FPGA. SAT instances may be partitioned into multiple groups that can be processed by multiple inference engines in parallel. New SAT instances can be inserted into FPGA without invoking the time-consuming FPGA re-synthesizing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: John Davis, Zhangxi Tan, Fang Yu, Lintao Zhang
  • Patent number: 8085232
    Abstract: An array substrate includes a base substrate, a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of data lines and a pixel matrix. The plurality of gate lines and the plurality of data lines define pixel areas. The pixel matrix is formed on each pixel area, and includes a plurality of pixel columns and pixel rows. Each pixel column has a first pixel group and a second pixel group. The first pixel group is electrically connected to a first gate line adjacent to the pixel column. The second pixel group is electrically connected to a second gate line adjacent to the pixel column. Each pixel row is electrically connected to one data line adjacent to the pixel column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Soong-Yong Joo, Myung-Koo Kang, Lintao Zhang, Jung-Sun Lee, Suk-Ki Jung, Dong-Yub Lee, Jong-Hwa Park
  • Patent number: 7984332
    Abstract: A distributed system checker may check a distributed system against events to detect bugs in the distributed system. The events may include machines crashes, network partitions, and packet losses, for example. The distributed system checker may check a distributed system that can have multiple threads and multiple processes running on multiple nodes. To obtain control over a distributed system, a distributed system checker may insert an interposition layer between a process and the operating system on each node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Junfeng Yang, Lintao Zhang, Lidong Zhou, Zhenyu Guo, Xuezheng Liu, Jian Tang, Mao Yang
  • Publication number: 20100125758
    Abstract: A distributed system checker may check a distributed system against events to detect bugs in the distributed system. The events may include machines crashes, network partitions, and packet losses, for example. The distributed system checker may check a distributed system that can have multiple threads and multiple processes running on multiple nodes. To obtain control over a distributed system, a distributed system checker may insert an interposition layer between a process and the operating system on each node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Junfeng Yang, Lintao Zhang, Lidong Zhou, Zhenyu Guo, Xuezheng Liu, Jian Tang, Mao Yang
  • Patent number: 7711525
    Abstract: A method for bounded model checking of arbitrary Linear Time Logic temporal properties. The method comprises translating properties associated with temporal operators F(p), G(p), U(p, q) and X(p) into property checking schemas comprising Boolean satisfiability checks, wherein F represents an eventuality operator, G represents a globally operator, U represents an until operator and X represents a next-time operator. The overall property is checked in a customized manner by repeated invocations of the property checking schemas for F(p), G(p), U(p, q), X(p) operators and standard handling of atomic propositions and Boolean operators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Malay Ganai, Lintao Zhang, Aarti Gupta, Zijiang Yang, Pranav Ashar
  • Publication number: 20100057647
    Abstract: A hardware accelerator is provided for Boolean constraint propagation (BCP) using field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for use in solving the Boolean satisfiability problem (SAT). An inference engine may perform implications. Learned clauses may be generated during conflict analysis. Operations pertaining to learned clauses may include clause insertion and clause deletion (e.g., by invalidation) from a learned clause inference engine, and “garbage collection” in which unused or invalidated clauses may be removed from an inference engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: John Davis, Zhangxi Tan, Fang Yu, Lintao Zhang
  • Publication number: 20090254505
    Abstract: A hardware accelerator is provided for Boolean constraint propagation (BCP) using field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for use in solving the Boolean satisfiability problem (SAT). An inference engine may perform implications. Block RAM (BRAM) may be used to store SAT instance information. Computation may be co-located with the BRAM memory, taking advantage of the high on-chip bandwidth and low latency of an FPGA. SAT instances may be partitioned into multiple groups that can be processed by multiple inference engines in parallel. New SAT instances can be inserted into FPGA without invoking the time-consuming FPGA re-synthesizing process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Publication date: October 8, 2009
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: John Davis, Zhangxi Tan, Fang Yu, Lintao Zhang
  • Patent number: 7577625
    Abstract: In order to provide for more efficient QBF satisfiability determination, the formula to be checked is transformed into one formula which is equi-satisfiable, and one which is equi-tautological. The conjunction or disjunction of these two formulas, then, is used to determine satisfiability, with the result being that a determination of satisfiability is more easily achieved. A conjunctive normal form transformation of the initial formula yields a group of clauses, only one of which must be unsatisfiable for the formula to be unsatisfiable. A disjunctive normal form transformation of the initial formula yields a group of cubes, only one of which must be satisfiable in order for the formula to be determined to be satisfiable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Lintao Zhang
  • Publication number: 20090113550
    Abstract: Methods and architectures for automatic filter generation are described. In an embodiment, these filters are generated in order to block inputs which would otherwise disrupt the normal functioning of a program. An initial set of filter conditions is generated by analyzing the path of a program from a point at which a bad input is received to the point at which the malfunctioning of the program is detected and creating conditions on an input which ensure that this path is followed. Having generated the initial set of filter conditions, the set is made less specific by determining which instructions do not influence whether the point of detection of the attack is reached and removing the filter conditions which correspond to these instructions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Manuel Costa, Miguel Castro, Lidong Zhou, Lintao Zhang, Marcus Peinado
  • Publication number: 20070179920
    Abstract: In order to provide for more efficient QBF satisfiability determination, the formula to be checked is transformed into one formula which is equi-satisfiable, and one which is equi-tautological. The conjunction or disjunction of these two formulas, then, is used to determine satisfiability, with the result being that a determination of satisfiability is more easily achieved. A conjunctive normal form transformation of the initial formula yields a group of clauses, only one of which must be unsatisfiable for the formula to be unsatisfiable. A disjunctive normal form transformation of the initial formula yields a group of cubes, only one of which must be satisfiable in order for the formula to be determined to be satisfiable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2006
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Lintao Zhang
  • Patent number: 7249333
    Abstract: Quantified Boolean formula (QBF) techniques are used in determining QBF satisfiability. A QBF is broken into component parts that are analyzable by a satisfiability (SAT) solver. Each component is then independently, and perhaps in parallel, analyzed for satisfiability. If a component is unsatisfiable, then it is determined that the QBF is unsatisfiable, and the analysis is stopped. If a component is satisfiable, then an assignment corresponding to the satisfiable component is noted. If a component is satisfiable, then it is appended to another untested component to provide a combination component, and the satisfiability of the combination component is analyzed. Such appending and analysis is repeated until the QBF is completed and determined to be satisfiable or determined to be unsatisfiable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Yuan Yu, Lintao Zhang
  • Publication number: 20070063233
    Abstract: An array substrate includes a base substrate, a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of data lines and a pixel matrix. The plurality of gate lines and the plurality of data lines define pixel areas. The pixel matrix is formed on each pixel area, and includes a plurality of pixel columns and pixel rows. Each pixel column has a first pixel group and a second pixel group. The first pixel group is electrically connected to a first gate line adjacent to the pixel column. The second pixel group is electrically connected to a second gate line adjacent to the pixel column. Each pixel row is electrically connected to one data line adjacent to the pixel column.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2006
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Soong-Yong Joo, Myung-Koo Kang, Lintao Zhang, Jung-Sun Lee, Suk-Ki Jung, Dong-Yub Lee, Jong-Hwa Park
  • Publication number: 20060190865
    Abstract: Quantified Boolean formula (QBF) techniques are used in determining QBF satisfiability. A QBF is broken into component parts that are analyzable by a satisfiability (SAT) solver. Each component is then independently, and perhaps in parallel, analyzed for satisfiability. If a component is unsatisfiable, then it is determined that the QBF is unsatisfiable, and the analysis is stopped. If a component is satisfiable, then an assignment corresponding to the satisfiable component is noted. If a component is satisfiable, then it is appended to another untested component to provide a combination component, and the satisfiability of the combination component is analyzed. Such appending and analysis is repeated until the QBF is completed and determined to be satisfiable or determined to be unsatisfiable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2005
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Yuan Yu, Lintao Zhang