Patents by Inventor Michael Scott Thomason

Michael Scott Thomason 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: 9489376
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product to identify confidential information in a document. To examine a document for inclusion of confidential information, the document is compared against documents having similar structure and content from one or more other sources. When comparing documents (of similar structure and content) from different sources, confidential information is then made to stand out by searching for terms (from the sources) that are not shared between or among them. In contrast, common words or terms that are shared across the sources are ignored as likely being non-confidential information; what remains as not shared may then be classified as confidential information and protected accordingly (e.g., by omission, redaction, substitution or the like). Using this technique, non-confidential information may be safely segmented from confidential information in a dynamic, automated manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Scott Thomason, Jai S. Arun, Benjamin L. Myers, Chad C. Rotermund, Ajit J. Jariwala
  • Publication number: 20140188921
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product to identify confidential information in a document. To examine a document for inclusion of confidential information, the document is compared against documents having similar structure and content from one or more other sources. When comparing documents (of similar structure and content) from different sources, confidential information is then made to stand out by searching for terms (from the sources) that are not shared between or among them. In contrast, common words or terms that are shared across the sources are ignored as likely being non-confidential information; what remains as not shared may then be classified as confidential information and protected accordingly (e.g., by omission, redaction, substitution or the like). Using this technique, non-confidential information may be safely segmented from confidential information in a dynamic, automated manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Scott Thomason, Jai S. Arun, Benjamin L. Myers, Chad C. Rotermund, Ajit J. Jariwala
  • Patent number: 8495484
    Abstract: Computer apparatus, system and method maintain a database of hyperlinks associated with activities and inactions in the past of a user. From a current work space of the user, a recommendation engine searches the database to retrieve hyperlinks based on user-specified context and topic. The recommendation engine displays recommended hyperlinks (candidates) and enables the user to filter the recommended hyperlinks by original source, activity metric or other relevance. To form and maintain the database, a context analysis engine captures activity content links. Each activity content link has a respective hyperlink associated with an activity/inaction of the user. The context analysis engine generates a metric based on the activity and records the respective hyperlink in the database along with the metric. The recommendation engine and context analysis engine may, on user command, further search social media or social networks in order to make hyperlink recommendations to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Maryam Ahmed, Al Chakra, Prasad Lakshmi Imandi, Michael Scott Thomason, Tong Yu
  • Publication number: 20130036344
    Abstract: Computer apparatus, system and method maintain a database of hyperlinks associated with activities and inactions in the past of a user. From a current work space of the user, a recommendation engine searches the database to retrieve hyperlinks based on user-specified context and topic. The recommendation engine displays recommended hyperlinks (candidates) and enables the user to filter the recommended hyperlinks by original source, activity metric or other relevance. To form and maintain the database, a context analysis engine captures activity content links. Each activity content link has a respective hyperlink associated with an activity/inaction of the user. The context analysis engine generates a metric based on the activity and records the respective hyperlink in the database along with the metric. The recommendation engine and context analysis engine may, on user command, further search social media or social networks in order to make hyperlink recommendations to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Maryam Ahmed, Al Chakra, Prasad Lakshmi Imandi, Michael Scott Thomason, Tong Yu