Patents by Inventor Patrick Sprowls

Patrick Sprowls 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).

  • Method and system for detecting and removing hidden pestware files
    Patent number: 8387147
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting and removing a hidden pestware file is described. One illustrative embodiment detects, using direct drive access, a file on a computer storage device; determines whether the file is also detectable by the operating system by attempting to access the file using a standard file Application-Program-Interface (API) function call of the operating system; identifies the file as a potential hidden pestware file, when the file is undetectable by the operating system; confirms through an automated pestware-signature scan of the potential hidden pestware file that the potential hidden pestware file is a hidden pestware file; and removes automatically, using direct drive access, the hidden pestware file from the storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Webroot Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick Sprowls
  • Method and system for detecting and removing hidden pestware files
    Patent number: 8381296
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting and removing a hidden pestware file is described. One illustrative embodiment detects, using direct drive access, a file on a computer storage device; determines whether the file is also detectable by the operating system by attempting to access the file using a standard file Application-Program-Interface (API) function call of the operating system; identifies the file as a potential hidden pestware file, when the file is undetectable by the operating system; confirms through an automated pestware-signature scan of the potential hidden pestware file that the potential hidden pestware file is a hidden pestware file; and removes automatically, using direct drive access, the hidden pestware file from the storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Webroot Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick Sprowls
  • Method and system for detecting and removing hidden pestware files
    Publication number: 20120005752
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting and removing a hidden pestware file is described. One illustrative embodiment detects, using direct drive access, a file on a computer storage device; determines whether the file is also detectable by the operating system by attempting to access the file using a standard file Application-Program-Interface (API) function call of the operating system; identifies the file as a potential hidden pestware file, when the file is undetectable by the operating system; confirms through an automated pestware-signature scan of the potential hidden pestware file that the potential hidden pestware file is a hidden pestware file; and removes automatically, using direct drive access, the hidden pestware file from the storage device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: WEBROOT SOFTWARE, INC.
    Inventor: Patrick Sprowls
  • Method and system for detecting and removing hidden pestware files
    Publication number: 20110289587
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting and removing a hidden pestware file is described. One illustrative embodiment detects, using direct drive access, a file on a computer storage device; determines whether the file is also detectable by the operating system by attempting to access the file using a standard file Application-Program-Interface (API) function call of the operating system; identifies the file as a potential hidden pestware file, when the file is undetectable by the operating system; confirms through an automated pestware-signature scan of the potential hidden pestware file that the potential hidden pestware file is a hidden pestware file; and removes automatically, using direct drive access, the hidden pestware file from the storage device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: WEBROOT SOFTWARE, INC.
    Inventor: Patrick Sprowls
  • Method and system for detecting and removing hidden pestware files
    Patent number: 7996903
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting and removing a hidden pestware file is described. One illustrative embodiment detects, using direct drive access, a file on a computer storage device; determines whether the file is also detectable by the operating system by attempting to access the file using a standard file Application-Program-Interface (API) function call of the operating system; identifies the file as a potential hidden pestware file, when the file is undetectable by the operating system; confirms through an automated pestware-signature scan of the potential hidden pestware file that the potential hidden pestware file is a hidden pestware file; and removes automatically, using direct drive access, the hidden pestware file from the storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Webroot Software, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick Sprowls
  • Method and system for detecting and removing hidden pestware files
    Publication number: 20080010310
    Abstract: A method and system for detecting and removing a hidden pestware file is described. One illustrative embodiment detects, using direct drive access, a file on a computer storage device; determines whether the file is also detectable by the operating system by attempting to access the file using a standard file Application-Program-Interface (API) function call of the operating system; identifies the file as a potential hidden pestware file, when the file is undetectable by the operating system; confirms through an automated pestware-signature scan of the potential hidden pestware file that the potential hidden pestware file is a hidden pestware file; and removes automatically, using direct drive access, the hidden pestware file from the storage device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2006
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Inventor: Patrick Sprowls