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).
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Patent number: 10909549Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 28, 2018Date of Patent: February 2, 2021Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Sheila E. Allen, Christopher J. Dawson, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Clifford A. Pickover
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Publication number: 20190095931Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 28, 2018Publication date: March 28, 2019Inventors: Sheila E. Allen, Christopher J. Dawson, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Clifford A. Pickover
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Patent number: 10169767Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 28, 2015Date of Patent: January 1, 2019Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Sheila E. Allen, Christopher J. Dawson, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Clifford A. Pickover
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Patent number: 9741147Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 12, 2008Date of Patent: August 22, 2017Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Sheila E. Allen, Gregory J. Boss, Peter G. Finn, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Clifford A. Pickover
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Patent number: 9665543Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 21, 2007Date of Patent: May 30, 2017Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Shirley S. Ackerman, Sheila E Allen, Mike D. Hocker, James G McLean, Clifford A. Pickover
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Publication number: 20160048490Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2015Publication date: February 18, 2016Inventors: Sheila E. Allen, Christopher J. Dawson, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Clifford A. Pickover
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Patent number: 9213982Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 17, 2012Date of Patent: December 15, 2015Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Sheila E. Allen, Christopher J. Dawson, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Clifford A. Pickover
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Patent number: 8347235Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 26, 2008Date of Patent: January 1, 2013Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Sheila E. Allen, Christopher J. Dawson, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Clifford A. Pickover
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Publication number: 20120310803Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: August 17, 2012Publication date: December 6, 2012Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Sheila E. Allen, Christopher J. Dawson, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Clifford A. Pickover
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Publication number: 20100153868Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2008Publication date: June 17, 2010Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Sheila E. ALLEN, Gregory J. Boss, Peter G. Finn, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Clifford A. Pickover
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Publication number: 20100083107Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2008Publication date: April 1, 2010Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Sheila E. ALLEN, Christopher J. Dawson, Rick A. Hamilton, II, Clifford A. Pickover
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Publication number: 20080235565Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2007Publication date: September 25, 2008Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Shirley S. Ackerman, Sheila E. Allen, Mike D. Hocker, James G. McLean, Clifford A. Pickover