Patents by Inventor Thomas C. Cannon, III

Thomas C. Cannon, III 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: 9927958
    Abstract: A user interface for a virtual machine infrastructure enables a user to navigate a graph in a tabular format. The user interface simultaneously displays data associated with a selected node from a plurality of applications via view extensions provided by the applications. The user interface shows data associated with a node on which a navigation panel is focused, an anchor node, together with related nodes and edge categories including the edges connecting the related nodes to the anchor node. The user can peek at the data associated with a related node by selecting the node in the user interface and change the displayed data without changing the focus of the navigation panel. The user can also change the focus of the navigation panel to a related node via data displayed in a data panel or related nodes identified in the navigation panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas C Cannon, III, Stephanie Dee, Peter J. Shepherd
  • Patent number: 9602358
    Abstract: Embodiments provide a virtual machine infrastructure including an application model and a user interface for displaying data associated with a plurality of nodes. The user interface is arranged in a hierarchy of views. An application is added to the infrastructure by adding an edge category and a view extension to the infrastructure. The user interface simultaneously displays the added view extension together with a view extension provided by another application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas C. Cannon, III, Stephanie Dee, Peter J. Shepherd, Robert Lee Thompson
  • Patent number: 9384116
    Abstract: Embodiments provide a graphical representation of load distribution or “balance” in a computing cluster. Load metrics representing the resource utilization of individual host computing devices are collected, and a load imbalance metric representing the variability of the host load metrics is calculated. A graphical balance indicator including a balance position and a boundary is created. An imbalance icon is positioned relative to the balance position and the boundary based on the calculated load imbalance metric. Attributes of the graphical balance indicator, such as the position of the boundary and/or the size of the imbalance icon, may be determined based on an acceptable imbalance threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Marshall Rider, Thomas C. Cannon, III, Matthew Critchlow
  • Publication number: 20140289634
    Abstract: One or more embodiments provide an extensible user interface for navigating a graph in a tabular format for which the extensible user interface is arranged in a hierarchy of views. The hierarchy includes an entry point level having at least one extension added by an application, wherein data is displayed when the extensible user interface is initially accessed by the user. The hierarchy further includes an inventory level having at least one extension added by the application, wherein data is displayed when the user selects an extension at the inventory level. Another level of the hierarchy is a category extension level having at least one extension added by an application, wherein data is displayed when the user focuses the extensible user interface on a node displayed by an extension added at the inventory level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Inventors: Thomas C. CANNON, III, Stephanie DEE, Peter J. SHEPHERD, Robert Lee THOMPSON
  • Patent number: 8700611
    Abstract: A method for a GUI for client software that is a part of an application program for managing datacenter resources includes receiving as input one or more specifications, where each specification includes a hierarchy of queries. The method also includes determining one or more target data sources for each query in each hierarchy. Additionally, the method includes issuing the query to each target data source determined for the query, after adapting the query to a format that is acceptable to the target data source. The method further includes receiving the results of each query from the target data source, integrates the results into a hierarchy, and submitting the hierarchy to the client software for display in a tree view in the GUI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Manas D. Kelshikar, Imran Q. Sayed, Thomas C. Cannon, III
  • Publication number: 20130055092
    Abstract: A user interface for a virtual machine infrastructure enables a user to navigate a graph in a tabular format. The user interface simultaneously displays data associated with a selected node from a plurality of applications via view extensions provided by the applications. The user interface shows data associated with a node on which a navigation panel is focused, an anchor node, together with related nodes and edge categories including the edges connecting the related nodes to the anchor node. The user can peek at the data associated with a related node by selecting the node in the user interface and change the displayed data without changing the focus of the navigation panel. The user can also change the focus of the navigation panel to a related node via data displayed in a data panel or related nodes identified in the navigation panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas C. CANNON, III, Stephanie DEE, Peter J. SHEPHERD
  • Publication number: 20130055244
    Abstract: Embodiments provide a virtual machine infrastructure including an application model and a user interface for displaying data associated with a plurality of nodes. The user interface is arranged in a hierarchy of views. An application is added to the infrastructure by adding an edge category and a view extension to the infrastructure. The user interface simultaneously displays the added view extension together with a view extension provided by another application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas C. CANNON, III, Stephanie DEE, Peter J. SHEPHERD, Robert Lee THOMPSON
  • Publication number: 20120297307
    Abstract: Embodiments provide a graphical representation of load distribution or “balance” in a computing cluster. Load metrics representing the resource utilization of individual host computing devices are collected, and a load imbalance metric representing the variability of the host load metrics is calculated. A graphical balance indicator including a balance position and a boundary is created. An imbalance icon is positioned relative to the balance position and the boundary based on the calculated load imbalance metric. Attributes of the graphical balance indicator, such as the position of the boundary and/or the size of the imbalance icon, may be determined based on an acceptable imbalance threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: VMWARE, INC.
    Inventors: Eric Marshall RIDER, Thomas C. CANNON, III, Matthew CRITCHLOW
  • Patent number: 8013859
    Abstract: A graphical display combines multiple dimensions of information relating to resource allocation and usage by a group of computer systems and sub-systems of the computer systems. The graphical display includes a series of graphics, each indicating resource usage by one of the computer systems. In addition, each graphic has multiple sections. Each section of the graphic indicates resource usage by a sub-system that is within the computer system represented by the graphic. Each section of the graphics may also be color-coded. The color code indicates the amount of resources the associated sub-system is receiving relative to the amount of resources that has been designated for that sub-system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: VMware, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas C. Cannon, III
  • Publication number: 20110173184
    Abstract: An example embodiment provides a method for a GUI for client software that is a part of an application program for managing datacenter resources. The method includes receiving as input one or more specifications, where each specification includes a hierarchy of queries. The method determines one or more target data sources for each query in each hierarchy. Then the method issues the query to each target data source determined for the query, after adapting the query to a format that is acceptable to the target data source. The method then receives the results of each query from the target data source, integrates the results into a hierarchy, and submits the hierarchy to the client software for display in a tree view in the GUI.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2010
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicant: VMWARE, INC.
    Inventors: Manas D. KELSHIKAR, Imran Q. SAYED, Thomas C. CANNON, III
  • Patent number: 7933981
    Abstract: A process to increase the readability of topology diagrams and to simultaneously show multiple relationships for a large number of elements or nodes in a network. Redundant relationships or connections between nodes are systematically hidden but in such a way that the removed relationships or connections can be inferred from the remaining relationships in the diagram. As a result, diagram elements or nodes are positioned closer to respective related elements and overlapping relationship lines, or connections, in the diagram are greatly reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas C. Cannon, III, Stephanie Dee
  • Publication number: 20090237404
    Abstract: A graphical display combines multiple dimensions of information relating to resource allocation and usage by a group of computer systems and sub-systems of the computer systems. The graphical display includes a series of graphics, each indicating resource usage by one of the computer systems. In addition, each graphic has multiple sections. Each section of the graphic indicates resource usage by a sub-system that is within the computer system represented by the graphic. Each section of the graphics may also be color-coded. The color code indicates the amount of resources the associated sub-system is receiving relative to the amount of resources that has been designated for that sub-system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: VMware, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas C. Cannon, III