Patents by Inventor Ralph A. Lipe

Ralph A. Lipe 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: 20050125231
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method of notifying a speech related application of events generated by a speech related engine. A middleware layer receives a notification selection from the application. The notification selection is indicative of a selected notification mechanism for notifying the application of the events. The middleware component receives an event indication from the engine. The event indication is indicative of an event generated by the engine. The event indication is transferred to the application according to the selected notification mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2004
    Publication date: June 9, 2005
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Ralph Lipe, Philipp Schmid
  • Publication number: 20050108369
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for configuring and managing network devices. The arrival (and departure) of devices on a network can be detected by a monitor. Upon detection, network devices can be simply and dynamically configured with little or no end-user intervention, for instance by automatically loading device drivers and allocating resources for the devices. Furthermore, network devices can be associated with other network devices such as a personal computer to facilitate seamless integration of network devices with a computer operating system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Publication date: May 19, 2005
    Inventors: Dale Sather, Guillaume Simonnet, John Gehlsen, Kosar Jaff, Ralph Lipe, Roland Ayala, Shannon Chan, Thomas Kuehnel
  • Publication number: 20050096911
    Abstract: The present invention provides an application-independent and engine-independent middleware layer between applications and engines. The middleware provides speech-related services to both applications and engines, thereby making it far easier for application vendors and engine vendors to bring their technology to consumers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2004
    Publication date: May 5, 2005
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Philipp Schmid, Ralph Lipe, Robert Chambers, Edward Connell
  • Publication number: 20050075883
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method of notifying a speech related application of events generated by a speech related engine. A middleware layer receives a notification selection from the application. The notification selection is indicative of a selected notification mechanism for notifying the application of the events. The middleware component receives an event indication from the engine. The event indication is indicative of an event generated by the engine. The event indication is transferred to the application according to the selected notification mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2004
    Publication date: April 7, 2005
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Ralph Lipe, Philipp Schmid
  • Publication number: 20040205258
    Abstract: A system for allocating resources for use by devices of a computer. Device information for the devices of the computer is collected to uniquely identify the devices and to describe the device characteristics associated with the operation of those devices with the computer. A list of device configurations is constructed in response to the collection of device information. Each device is represented by at least one device configuration, which defines the resource element requirements for the corresponding device. Computer resources, which support the functions of the devices within the computer, are allocated based upon the device configurations and the availability of the desired resources. This allocation process prevents a potential conflicting use of computer resources by the installed devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2004
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Applicant: Microsoft Corp.
    Inventors: Marc D. Wilson, Ralph A. Lipe, Pierre-Yves Santerre
  • Patent number: 6763454
    Abstract: A system for allocating resources for use by devices of a computer. Device information for the devices of the computer is collected to uniquely identify the devices and to describe the device characteristics associated with the operation of those devices with the computer. A list of device configurations is constructed in response to the collection of device information. Each device is represented by at least one device configuration, which defines the resource element requirements for the corresponding device. Computer resources, which support the functions of the devices within the computer, are allocated based upon the device configurations and the availability of the desired resources. This allocation process prevents a potential conflicting use of computer resources by the installed devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Microsoft Corp.
    Inventors: Marc D. Wilson, Ralph A. Lipe, Pierre-Yves Santerre
  • Publication number: 20030041088
    Abstract: A system for allocating resources for use by devices of a computer. Device information for the devices of the computer is collected to uniquely identify the devices and to describe the device characteristics associated with the operation of those devices with the computer. A list of device configurations is constructed in response to the collection of device information. Each device is represented by at least one device configuration, which defines the resource element requirements for the corresponding device. Computer resources, which support the functions of the devices within the computer, are allocated based upon the device configurations and the availability of the desired resources. This allocation process prevents a potential conflicting use of computer resources by the installed devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 1995
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Inventors: MARC D. WILSON, RALPH A. LIPE, PIERRE-YVES SANTERRE
  • Publication number: 20020143529
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus that utilize a context-free grammar written in a markup language format. The markup language format provides a hierarchical format in which grammar structures are delimited within and defined by a set of tags. The markup language format also provides grammar switch tags that indicate a transitions from the context-free grammar to a dictation grammar or a text buffer grammar. In addition, the markup language format provides for the designation of code to be executed when particular grammar structures are recognized from a speech signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2001
    Publication date: October 3, 2002
    Inventors: Philipp H. Schmid, Ralph Lipe, Erik C. Ellerman, Robert L. Chambers
  • Publication number: 20020123881
    Abstract: A computer-loadable data structure is provided that represents a state-and-transition-based description of a speech grammar. The data structure includes first and second transition entries that both represent transitions from a first state. The second transition entry is contiguous with the first transition entry in the data structure and includes a last-transition value. The last-transition value indicating that the second transition is the last transition from the first state in the data structure. A method is also provided for retrieving information from a binary grammar. The method includes receiving an index into a set of transition entries and converting the index into a memory offset relative to the beginning of the binary grammar, where the offset is based on a memory offset to the beginning of the set of transition entries, the fixed size of each transition entry and the index.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2001
    Publication date: September 5, 2002
    Inventors: Philipp H. Schmid, Ralph Lipe
  • Publication number: 20020069065
    Abstract: The present invention provides an application-independent and engine-independent middleware layer between applications and engines. The middleware provides speech-related services to both applications and engines, thereby making it far easier for application vendors and engine vendors to bring their technology to consumers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2000
    Publication date: June 6, 2002
    Inventors: Philipp Heinz Schmid, Ralph Lipe, Robert Chambers, Edward Connell
  • Publication number: 20020052743
    Abstract: The present invention includes a context-free grammar (CFG) engine which communicates through an exposed interface with a speech recognition engine. The context-free grammar engine, in one illustrative embodiment, handles loading and unloading of grammars, as well as maintaining a desired activation state of the grammars which are loaded. Further, the CFG engine represents all loaded grammars, and their corresponding activation states, as a single grammar to the speech recognition engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2000
    Publication date: May 2, 2002
    Inventors: Philipp Heinz Schmid, Ralph Lipe
  • Publication number: 20020032569
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method of notifying a speech related application of events generated by a speech related engine. A middleware layer receives a notification selection from the application. The notification selection is indicative of a selected notification mechanism for notifying the application of the events. The middleware component receives an event indication from the engine. The event indication is indicative of an event generated by the engine. The event indication is transferred to the application according to the selected notification mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2001
    Publication date: March 14, 2002
    Inventors: Ralph Lipe, Philipp Heinz Schmid
  • Publication number: 20020010809
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and computer-readable medium for searching for programming objects on a computer system. Under one aspect of the invention, optional search attributes are used to order a list of references to found programming objects. Under a second aspect of the invention, object attributes that are stored outside of a static attribute storage area are inspected during the search for programming objects. Under a third aspect of the invention, different sets of object data are allowed to reference the same programming object class, and different objects of a single programming object class may be initialized in different ways so that they exhibit different attributes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Publication date: January 24, 2002
    Inventors: Ralph Lipe, Robert L. Chambers, Edward W. Connell, Abhijit Sarkar
  • Patent number: 6336152
    Abstract: A system for configuring a network adapter of a computer without user intervention. Device information for the devices of the computer, including each network adapter, is collected to uniquely identify the devices and to describe the device characteristics associated with the operation of those devices with the computer. Computer resources, which support the functions of the devices within the computer, are allocated based upon this device information. This allocation process prevents a potential conflicting use of computer resources by the installed devices. A device driver, which enables communications between a corresponding device and the computer, is also identified and loaded for each of the devices in response to the allocation of computer resources. In response to loading the driver for each network adapter, each network configuration routine or layer for a particular interface of the corresponding network adapter is identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2002
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Darryl Steven Richman, Moshe Lichtman, Mark R. Enstrom, Thomas E. Lennon, Ralph A. Lipe, Pierre-Yves Santerre, Robert T. Short, David W. Voth
  • Patent number: 6286013
    Abstract: An operating system provides a common name space for both long filenames and short filenames. In this common namespace, a long filename and a short filename are provided for each file. Each file has a short filename directory entry and may have at least one long filename directory entry associated with it. The number of long filename directory entries that are associated with a file depends on the number of characters in the long filename of the file. The long filename directory entries are configured to minimize compatibility problems with existing installed program bases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron R. Reynolds, Dennis R. Adler, Ralph A. Lipe, Ray D. Pedrizetti, Jeffrey T. Parsons, Rasipuram V. Arun
  • Patent number: 6032273
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for identifying ROM memories. The method first determines whether the same data is read from a predetermined unit of memory during successive reads and, if so, determines whether the read data includes more than a predetermined minimum number of different data bytes. If both tests are true, then the predetermined unit of memory is considered to be occupied by read only memory. If either test fails, then the predetermined unit of memory is considered to be unoccupied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Ralph Lipe
  • Patent number: 6003097
    Abstract: A system for configuring a network adapter of a computer without user intervention. Device information for the devices of the computer, including each network adapter, is collected to uniquely identify the devices and to describe the device characteristics associated with the operation of those devices with the computer. Computer resources, which support the functions of the devices within the computer, are allocated based upon this device information. This allocation process prevents a potential conflicting use of computer resources by the installed devices. A device driver, which enables communications between a corresponding device and the computer, is also identified and loaded for each of the devices in response to the allocation of computer resources. In response to loading the driver for each network adapter, each network configuration routine or layer for a particular interface of the corresponding network adapter is identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Darryl Steven Richman, Moshe Lichtman, Mark R. Enstrom, Thomas E. Lennon, Ralph A. Lipe, Pierre-Yves Santerre, Robert T. Short, David W. Voth
  • Patent number: 5923897
    Abstract: A method and system for communicating extended information, including status information, from a hardware device to a computer operating system. An adapter detects changes in the status of hardware devices attached thereto, including inserted, removed or requested-to-be-removed status, places information regarding that status in registers accessible to the operating system, and generates an interrupt. In handling the interrupt, the operating system reads the status information from the registers and takes appropriate action. The described framework extensibly provides the operating system with the ability to issue commands to the adapter such as commands which obtain information on the capabilities of the adapter and the hardware devices attached thereto. Another such command enables the operating system to direct the adapter to mechanically eject a device attached thereto, such as in response to detection of request-to-be-removed status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Ralph A. Lipe, William G. Parry
  • Patent number: 5881252
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically configuring circuit cards used in a computer system. The present invention includes a method and apparatus that enables the circuit cards to be automatically configured during system boot up without any user intervention. The present invention also includes a method for the computer system software to detect resources requested by the circuit cards in order to resolve any system resource conflicts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignees: Intel Corporation, Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Narendar B. Sahgal, Ajay V. Bhatt, Philip W. Martin, Sudarshan Bala Cadambi, Mark R. Enstrom, Ralph A. Lipe, David W. Voth, Robert T. Short
  • Patent number: 5875289
    Abstract: A method and system for simulating auto-init DMA transfers to peripheral devices that do not support system DMA. To simulate auto-init mode DMA, a device driver monitors and responds to activity on the DMA channel when the application program specifies auto-init mode DMA. Data in a buffer is transferred to the peripheral device in small amounts called bursts. Several bursts comprise a block, and the end of each block must coincide with the end of a burst. When a burst is transferred from the buffer to the peripheral device, the peripheral device generates a physical interrupt. The device driver intercepts the physical interrupt and sends a virtual interrupt to the application program only when the physical interrupt is received for a burst that ends at the end of a block. In this manner, the application program is informed that it can again write data into the buffer for subsequent transfer to the peripheral device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1999
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Bryan Alan Woodruff, Ralph A. Lipe