Patents by Inventor Sheila E. Allen

Sheila E. Allen 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: 10909549
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing information during content breakpoints in a virtual universe. The system comprises a placement engine configured to detect a content breakpoint within a virtual universe, which is defined as at least one of a login process, a logoff process, a teleportation, a wait state, and during any point where a user changes information streams in the virtual universe. The system also comprises an insertion resolution engine configured to create a list of prioritized information to present to a user within the virtual universe and an information definition engine configured to present the prioritized information to the user of the virtual universe during the content breakpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sheila E. Allen, Christopher J. Dawson, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Clifford A. Pickover
  • Publication number: 20190095931
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing information during content breakpoints in a virtual universe. The system comprises a placement engine configured to detect a content breakpoint within a virtual universe, which is defined as at least one of a login process, a logoff process, a teleportation, a wait state, and during any point where a user changes information streams in the virtual universe. The system also comprises an insertion resolution engine configured to create a list of prioritized information to present to a user within the virtual universe and an information definition engine configured to present the prioritized information to the user of the virtual universe during the content breakpoint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Sheila E. Allen, Christopher J. Dawson, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Clifford A. Pickover
  • Patent number: 10169767
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing information during content breakpoints in a virtual universe. The system comprises a placement engine configured to detect a content breakpoint within a virtual universe, which is defined as at least one of a login process, a logoff process, a teleportation, a wait state, and during any point where a user changes information streams in the virtual universe. The system also comprises an insertion resolution engine configured to create a list of prioritized information to present to a user within the virtual universe and an information definition engine configured to present the prioritized information to the user of the virtual universe during the content breakpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sheila E. Allen, Christopher J. Dawson, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Clifford A. Pickover
  • Patent number: 9741147
    Abstract: A system and method to modify avatar characteristics and, in particular, to modify avatar characteristics based on inferred conditions. The system comprises a collection engine configured to collect one or more inputs and at least one rule set. The system also comprises an emotion engine configured to accept the one or more inputs and operate on the at least one rule set by comparing the one or more inputs to the at least one rule set, the emotion engine configured to modify at least one characteristic of a user participating in a virtual universe when the comparing produces a match.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sheila E. Allen, Gregory J. Boss, Peter G. Finn, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Clifford A. Pickover
  • Patent number: 9665543
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for supporting the use of hypertext links in documents such as word processor documents. A given word processor document is scanned for link representations to sources that are external to the word processor document. These identified link representations are then checked for validity and functionality, and the external sources are also checked for content and accessibility. In order to facilitate checking the content of the external sources, the word processor document is appended to include all or part of the content of each linked external source. The appended information is then used for subsequent content comparisons. Checking of the link representations and external sources is used to produce a current validity status for each link representations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shirley S. Ackerman, Sheila E Allen, Mike D. Hocker, James G McLean, Clifford A. Pickover
  • Publication number: 20160048490
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing information during content breakpoints in a virtual universe. The system comprises a placement engine configured to detect a content breakpoint within a virtual universe, which is defined as at least one of a login process, a logoff process, a teleportation, a wait state, and during any point where a user changes information streams in the virtual universe. The system also comprises an insertion resolution engine configured to create a list of prioritized information to present to a user within the virtual universe and an information definition engine configured to present the prioritized information to the user of the virtual universe during the content breakpoint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Inventors: Sheila E. Allen, Christopher J. Dawson, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Clifford A. Pickover
  • Patent number: 9213982
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing information during content breakpoints in a virtual universe. The system comprises a placement engine configured to detect a content breakpoint within a virtual universe, which is defined as at least one of a login process, a logoff process, a teleportation, a wait state, and during any point where a user changes information streams in the virtual universe. The system also comprises an insertion resolution engine configured to create a list of prioritized information to present to a user within the virtual universe and an information definition engine configured to present the prioritized information to the user of the virtual universe during the content breakpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sheila E. Allen, Christopher J. Dawson, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Clifford A. Pickover
  • Patent number: 8347235
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing information during content breakpoints in a virtual universe. The system comprises a placement engine configured to detect a content breakpoint within a virtual universe, which is defined as at least one of a login process, a logoff process, a teleportation, a wait state, and during any point where a user changes information streams in the virtual universe. The system also comprises an insertion resolution engine configured to create a list of prioritized information to present to a user within the virtual universe and an information definition engine configured to present the prioritized information to the user of the virtual universe during the content breakpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sheila E. Allen, Christopher J. Dawson, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Clifford A. Pickover
  • Publication number: 20120310803
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing information during content breakpoints in a virtual universe. The system comprises a placement engine configured to detect a content breakpoint within a virtual universe, which is defined as at least one of a login process, a logoff process, a teleportation, a wait state, and during any point where a user changes information streams in the virtual universe. The system also comprises an insertion resolution engine configured to create a list of prioritized information to present to a user within the virtual universe and an information definition engine configured to present the prioritized information to the user of the virtual universe during the content breakpoint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sheila E. Allen, Christopher J. Dawson, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Clifford A. Pickover
  • Publication number: 20100153868
    Abstract: A system and method to modify avatar characteristics and, in particular, to modify avatar characteristics based on inferred conditions. The system comprises a collection engine configured to collect one or more inputs and at least one rule set. The system also comprises an emotion engine configured to accept the one or more inputs and operate on the at least one rule set by comparing the one or more inputs to the at least one rule set, the emotion engine configured to modify at least one characteristic of a user participating in a virtual universe when the comparing produces a match.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sheila E. ALLEN, Gregory J. Boss, Peter G. Finn, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Clifford A. Pickover
  • Publication number: 20100083107
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing information during content breakpoints in a virtual universe. The system comprises a placement engine configured to detect a content breakpoint within a virtual universe, which is defined as at least one of a login process, a logoff process, a teleportation, a wait state, and during any point where a user changes information streams in the virtual universe. The system also comprises an insertion resolution engine configured to create a list of prioritized information to present to a user within the virtual universe and an information definition engine configured to present the prioritized information to the user of the virtual universe during the content breakpoint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sheila E. ALLEN, Christopher J. Dawson, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Clifford A. Pickover
  • Publication number: 20080235565
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for supporting the use of hypertext links in documents such as word processor documents. A given word processor document is scanned for link representations to sources that are external to the word processor document. These identified link representations are then checked for validity and functionality, and the external sources are also checked for content and accessibility. In order to facilitate checking the content of the external sources, the word processor document is appended to include all or part of the content of each linked external source. The appended information is then used for subsequent content comparisons. Checking of the link representations and external sources is used to produce a current validity status for each link representations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Publication date: September 25, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shirley S. Ackerman, Sheila E. Allen, Mike D. Hocker, James G. McLean, Clifford A. Pickover