Patents by Inventor Michael Ferris

Michael Ferris 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: 10158496
    Abstract: A method, computer program product, and system is described. A communication session transcript is identified. A chat session input is received. The chat session input is associated with an inactive portion of the communication session transcript. The chat session input is provided to a recipient, in context with the inactive portion of the communication session transcript.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sean Callanan, Al Chakra, Michael Ferris, Simon P. O'Doherty
  • Patent number: 9569875
    Abstract: Unordered list operations are used to create and modify ordered lists of components. Each list operation specifies an intention to change some aspect of an ordered list, such as the addition or removal of components or a change in the sequence of components. List operations are associated with intrinsic and extrinsic time-independent attributes. Multiple users can collaborate on an ordered list by specifying their own list operations. List operations are cumulative and do not destructively overwrite list operations from previous pipeline activities. An embodiment of the invention interprets list operations in a time independent manner using intrinsic and extrinsic list operation attributes. Because list operations are processed in a time-independent manner, multiple users may collaborate in any order on the creation of an ordered list, including simultaneously editing the ordered list, and still obtain consistent results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Pixar
    Inventors: Timothy S. Milliron, Sudeep Rangaswamy, Brad Andalman, Michael Ferris
  • Publication number: 20140337440
    Abstract: A method, computer program product, and system is described. A communication session transcript is identified. A chat session input is received. The chat session input is associated with an inactive portion of the communication session transcript. The chat session input is provided to a recipient, in context with the inactive portion of the communication session transcript.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sean Callanan, Al Chakra, Michael Ferris, Simon P. O'Doherty
  • Patent number: 8566736
    Abstract: A user interface presents views of entities and their attributes relative to any subset of associated parameters. A view may present views of entities as a function of one or more parameters. A selection of a subset of entities in one view with respect to parameters may be presented in another view with respect to different parameters. Entities may be manipulated in any supplemental view to change their values or their parameter associations. A view may present components and parameters associated with layers or any subset of layers and/or after layer compositing. A view can include resolved values of components and their attributes. A supplemental view may include visual indicators to indicate the layer or other parameter defining its resolved value. Hierarchical relationships may be presented in views, with ancestor entities expanded within a view to show its descendent entities or collapsed to hide its descendent entities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Pixar
    Inventors: Oren Jacob, Eric Gregory, Michael Ferris, Robert Jensen, Timothy S. Milliron, Brad Andalman
  • Patent number: 8447807
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for integrating applets running on a client with the application logic for applications running on a server. Instead of using the FORM element available in HTML, individual active applets are available and may be created that obtain user input (e.g. a checkbox, textbox, button, etc.). A hidden applet called the Applet Group Controller is created which handles communication between the applets on the browser and the application logic on the server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Ferris, Nicolas Popp, Scott Forstall, Charles D'Harcourt
  • Patent number: 8447806
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for integrating applets running on a client with the application logic for applications running on a server. Instead of using the FORM element available in HTML, individual active applets are available and may be created that obtain user input (e.g. a checkbox, textbox, button, etc.). A hidden applet called the Applet Group Controller is created which handles communication between the applets on the browser and the application logic on the server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Ferris, Nicolas Popp, Scott Forstall, Charles D'Harcourt
  • Patent number: 8417771
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for integrating applets running on a client with the application logic for applications running on a server. The mechanism of the present invention provides two significant advantages over the prior art: the synchronization of state, and the recognition of user actions in the browser including the invocation of the appropriate application logic in the server. Instead of using the FORM element available in HTML, individual active applets are available and may be created that obtain user input (e.g. a checkbox, textbox, button, etc.). A hidden applet called the Applet Group Controller is created which handles communication between the applets on the browser and the application logic on the server. The Applet Group Controller maintains an association with each applet that maintains the keys and values of any parameters and variables for the applet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Ferris, Nicolas Popp, Scott Forstall, Charles D'Harcourt
  • Patent number: 8363055
    Abstract: Multiple time scales enable animations over multiple shots. Time-dependent data is specified with reference to time references. Data expressed in different time references may be combined to form animations, shots, and sequences of shots. Time transformations specifying mappings between time references are used to combine data expressed in different time references. Data can be viewed in arbitrary time references. Editing data specifying a sequence of shots may be used as a time reference for viewing data expressed in other time references. Data expressed in one time reference may be rearranged according to another time reference to indicate time reference relationships. Data authored in one time reference may be viewed and modified in another time reference. Modifications are converted from the viewing time reference to the data's original time reference for updating data. Time-dependent data may be expressed in layer data structures. Layer relationships may include time transformations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Pixar
    Inventors: Eric Gregory, Michael Ferris, Robert Jensen, Oren Jacob, Timothy S. Milliron
  • Publication number: 20120226745
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for integrating applets running on a client with the application logic for applications running on a server. Instead of using the FORM element available in HTML, individual active applets are available and may be created that obtain user input (e.g. a checkbox, textbox, button, etc.). A hidden applet called the Applet Group Controller is created which handles communication between the applets on the browser and the application logic on the server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Michael Ferris, Nicolas Popp, Scott Forstall, Charles D'Harcourt
  • Publication number: 20120226744
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for integrating applets running on a client with the application logic for applications running on a server. Instead of using the FORM element available in HTML, individual active applets are available and may be created that obtain user input (e.g. a checkbox, textbox, button, etc.). A hidden applet called the Applet Group Controller is created which handles communication between the applets on the browser and the application logic on the server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Michael Ferris, Nicolas Popp, Scott Forstall, Charles D'Harcourt
  • Publication number: 20110258254
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for integrating applets running on a client with the application logic for applications running on a server. The mechanism of the present invention provides two significant advantages over the prior art: the synchronization of state, and the recognition of user actions in the browser including the invocation of the appropriate application logic in the server. Instead of using the FORM element available in HTML, individual active applets are available and may be created that obtain user input (e.g. a checkbox, textbox, button, etc.). A hidden applet called the Applet Group Controller is created which handles communication between the applets on the browser and the application logic on the server. The Applet Group Controller maintains an association with each applet that maintains the keys and values of any parameters and variables for the applet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Michael Ferris, Nicolas Popp, Scott Forstall, Charles D'Harcourt
  • Patent number: 7991834
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for integrating applets running on a client with the application logic for applications running on a server. The mechanism of the present invention provides two significant advantages over the prior art: the synchronization of state, and the recognition of user actions in the browser including the invocation of the appropriate application logic in the server. Instead of using the FORM element available in HTML, individual active applets are available and may be created that obtain user input (e.g. a checkbox, textbox, button, etc.). A hidden applet called the Applet Group Controller is created which handles communication between the applets on the browser and the application logic on the server. The Applet Group Controller maintains an association with each applet that maintains the keys and values of any parameters and variables for the applet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Ferris, Nicolas Popp, Scott Forstall, Charles D'Harcourt
  • Patent number: 7917535
    Abstract: Components are presented to users based on the components' assigned task memberships. The tasks represents the different activities performed by users within a digital production pipeline. Each stage of the digital production pipeline may be associated with a task. Additional user-defined tasks may be defined as needed to further distinguish components. Attributes of components are associated with one or more tasks when the component is authored. Task memberships may be inherited from parent components or overridden. A user interface includes a task selection menu to receive a selection of one or more tasks from the user. The task selection is used to filter components, so that the user interface presents only relevant information to users. Component attribute values and task associations can be expressed using layer data structures. Task restrictions of layers allow layers to only specify values of components that match the task associations of the layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Pixar
    Inventors: Eric Gregory, Michael Ferris, Robert Jensen, Oren Jacob, Timothy S. Milliron
  • Patent number: 7836087
    Abstract: The components of a computer graphics scene can be organized using multiple independent graphs. Each component can include graph relationship attributes specifying its location in one or more graphs. Graph can be utilized for any purpose within the digital production pipeline. A component can include any number of graph relationship attributes. The number and type of graph relationship attributes can be different for each component. Software tools can access one or more graphs to determine structural or functional relationships between components. Software tools can enforce policies for a graph independent of other graphs. Software tools can optimize the components of a graph independent of other graphs. A graph relationship attribute of a component can include optional parameter data to specify properties of the relationship between two or more components. Layer data structures including opinions of value can specify graph relationships.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Pixar
    Inventors: Eric Gregory, Michael Ferris, Robert Jensen, Oren Jacob
  • Publication number: 20090177711
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for integrating applets running on a client with the application logic for applications running on a server. The mechanism of the present invention provides two significant advantages over the prior art: the synchronization of state, and the recognition of user actions in the browser including the invocation of the appropriate application logic in the server. Instead of using the FORM element available in HTML, individual active applets are available and may be created that obtain user input (e.g. a checkbox, textbox, button, etc.). A hidden applet called the Applet Group Controller is created which handles communication between the applets on the browser and the application logic on the server. The Applet Group Controller maintains an association with each applet that maintains the keys and values of any parameters and variables for the applet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2009
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Michael Ferris, Nicolas Popp, Scott Forstall, Charles D'Harcourt
  • Patent number: 7529841
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for integrating applets running on a client with the application logic for applications running on a server. The mechanism of the present invention provides two significant advantages over the prior art: the synchronization of state, and the recognition of user actions in the browser including the invocation of the appropriate application logic in the server. Instead of using the FORM element available in HTML, individual active applets are available and may be created that obtain user input (e.g. a checkbox, textbox, button, etc.). A hidden applet called the Applet Group Controller is created which handles communication between the applets on the browser and the application logic on the server. The Applet Group Controller maintains an association with each applet that maintains the keys and values of any parameters and variables for the applet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Ferris, Nicolas Popp, Scott Forstall, Charles D'Harcourt
  • Publication number: 20060031539
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for integrating applets running on a client with the application logic for applications running on a server. The mechanism of the present invention provides two significant advantages over the prior art: the synchronization of state, and the recognition of user actions in the browser including the invocation of the appropriate application logic in the server. Instead of using the FORM element available in HTML, individual active applets are available and may be created that obtain user input (e.g. a checkbox, textbox, button, etc.). A hidden applet called the Applet Group Controller is created which handles communication between the applets on the browser and the application logic on the server. The Applet Group Controller maintains an association with each applet that maintains the keys and values of any parameters and variables for the applet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Inventors: Michael Ferris, Nicolas Popp, Scott Forstall, Charles D'Harcourt
  • Publication number: 20050234565
    Abstract: A programmable control system and related features and methods are provided for the operation an automated, actuator-based component inspection system. In one implementation, the invention can be characterized as an actuator control system comprising: a controller adapted to be coupled to and control an actuator including a probe moveable by the actuator about an axis in response to control signals from the controller; a user input device coupled to the controller and configured to receive inputs from a user to define an automated sequence of multiple locations of the probe and configured to cause an encoder measurement to be retrieved from the actuator; and the user input device further configured to receive a tolerance value from the user corresponding to the encoder measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2005
    Publication date: October 20, 2005
    Applicant: Systems, Machines, Automation Components, Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Marks, Michael Ferris, Stephen Curtiss, Willie Clark, Steve Haidos, Edward Neff
  • Patent number: 6947967
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for integrating applets running on a client with the application logic for applications running on a server. The mechanism of the present invention provides two significant advantages over the prior art: the synchronization of state, and the recognition of user actions in the browser including the invocation of the appropriate application logic in the server. Instead of using the FORM element available in HTML, individual active applets are available and may be created that obtain user input (e.g. a checkbox, textbox, button, etc.). A hidden applet called the Applet Group Controller is created which handles communication between the applets on the browser and the application logic on the server. The Applet Group Controller maintains an association with each applet that maintains the keys and values of any parameters and variables for the applet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Apple Computer
    Inventors: Michael Ferris, Nicolas Popp, Scott Forstall, Charles D'Harcourt
  • Publication number: 20020010739
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for integrating applets running on a client with the application logic for applications running on a server. The mechanism of the present invention provides two significant advantages over the prior art: the synchronization of state, and the recognition of user actions in the browser including the invocation of the appropriate application logic in the server. Instead of using the FORM element available in HTML, individual active applets are available and may be created that obtain user input (e.g. a checkbox, textbox, button, etc.). A hidden applet called the Applet Group Controller is created which handles communication between the applets on the browser and the application logic on the server. The Applet Group Controller maintains an association with each applet that maintains the keys and values of any parameters and variables for the applet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2001
    Publication date: January 24, 2002
    Applicant: APPLE COMPUTER, INC.
    Inventors: Michael Ferris, Nicolas Popp, Scott Forstall, Charles D'Harcourt