Patents by Inventor Steven K. Beal

Steven K. Beal 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: 7958234
    Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring usage of an electronic device are disclosed herein. A client component in stalled in a client device is operative to monitor usage of the client device in accordance with a monitoring profile, and to generate corresponding usage data. The monitoring profile typically includes information specifying which features of which application programs are to be disabled on the client device. A server component, installed on a server device in communication with the client device, provides the monitoring profile to the client device and receives the usage data from the client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Oran M Thomas, Robert F Gorman, Steven K Beal, Steve Wilson
  • Publication number: 20090271514
    Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring usage of an electronic device are disclosed herein. A client component in stalled in a client device is operative to monitor usage of the client device in accordance with a monitoring profile, and to generate corresponding usage data. The monitoring profile typically includes information specifying which features of which application programs are to be disabled on the client device. A server component, installed on a server device in communication with the client device, provides the monitoring profile to the client device and receives the usage data from the client device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Oran M. Thomas, Robert F. Gorman, Steven K. Beal, Steve Wilson
  • Patent number: 7523191
    Abstract: A system for monitoring usage of an electronic device is disclosed herein. A client component installed in a client device is operative to monitor usage of the client device in accordance with a monitoring profile, and to generate corresponding usage data. The monitoring profile typically includes information specifying which application programs, and which features of such application programs, installed on the client device are to be monitored by the client component. A server component, installed on a server device in communication with the client device, provides the monitoring profile to the client device and receives the usage data from the client device. The system may also include a data management component disposed to store the monitoring profile and to store the usage data provided to the server device. A data analysis component determines usage statistics associated with application programs installed on the client device based upon the usage data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Oran M. Thomas, Robert F. Gorman, Steven K. Beal, Steve Wilson
  • Patent number: 5864676
    Abstract: A universal resource locator ("URL") login system. The invention makes full use of the internet/intranet concept by using a URL instead of a specific home directory as a fixed location to control and access a login function. The URL login function causes objects to be collected from various locations on a network and brought to a local client computer system where they are rendered. The content of one URL may reference another URL, so that a compound object is created comprising a collection of objects drawn from various storage locations on a network. The invention permits a user to access the user's private information and personal desktop no matter where the user is located. Accordingly, a user can use public computer systems to fully access private networks. Upon a successful login, the invention fetches objects from remote locations and instantiates them locally for the duration of the user's session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1999
    Assignee: TriTeal Corporation
    Inventors: John C. Beer, Timothy T. Kraft, Steven K. Beal, Steven C. Wilson