Patents by Inventor Thomas Pfenning

Thomas Pfenning 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: 7653640
    Abstract: Synchronization of a web syndication item over a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) format between a publisher and a subscriber. The publisher creates the web syndication item by including a media content associated therewith. The synchronization metadata is defined to include a first virtual clock value associated with the created web syndication item. The first virtual clock value indicates when the web syndication item was last updated. A request for subscribing the published web syndication item is received from the subscriber. In response to the received request, the published web syndication item is transmitted to a location remote from the publisher and accessible by the subscriber. The first virtual clock value is provided to the subscriber for use by the subscriber to modify the first virtual clock value when the subscriber modifies the media content associated with the web syndication item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Moe Khosravy, Michael R. Clark, Oliver Lee, Lev Novik, Thomas Pfenning
  • Publication number: 20080126364
    Abstract: Synchronization of a web syndication item over a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) format between a publisher and a subscriber. The publisher creates the web syndication item by including a media content associated therewith. The synchronization metadata is defined to include a first virtual clock value associated with the created web syndication item. The first virtual clock value indicates when the web syndication item was last updated. A request for subscribing the published web syndication item is received from the subscriber. In response to the received request, the published web syndication item is transmitted to a location remote from the publisher and accessible by the subscriber. The first virtual clock value is provided to the subscriber for use by the subscriber to modify the first virtual clock value when the subscriber modifies the media content associated with the web syndication item.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Moe Khosravy, Michael R. Clark, Oliver Lee, Lev Novik, Thomas Pfenning
  • Patent number: 7155480
    Abstract: Client-server conference and user seeking is disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes at least one server of a first type, a server of a second type, and a client. Each of the at least one server of the first type maintains at least one conference. The server of the second type stores a server list of the servers of the first type. The client queries this latter server to obtain the server list, and then is able to query each server on the list to learn of the conferences maintained by these servers. User lists may also be maintained by either the first and/or second server types, for querying by the client.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Rajeev Byrisetty, Mu Han, Don Ryan, Thomas Pfenning, Stefan Solomon
  • Publication number: 20060013266
    Abstract: Computers, particularly personal computers, have become everyday communications devices, nearly as common as telephones and televisions. A big reason for this is the expansion of computer networks, such as the internet, which allow sending and receiving information, including audio and video information, from one computer to one or more other computers. Communicating audio and video information between computers can be problematic because users have to wait for the information to be fully downloaded before viewing or hearing it and because different computers sometimes communicate using incompatible communications protocols, which prevents comprehension. Accordingly, the inventors devised new methods, software, and computer systems that support interactive data streaming (real-time exchange of multimedia data) and full-duplex communications, for example, network conferencing, using more than one communications protocol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2004
    Publication date: January 19, 2006
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Andres Vega-Garcia, Mu Han, Donald Ryan, Thomas Pfenning, Rajeev Byrisetty, Stefan Solomon, Michael Clark
  • Patent number: 6839734
    Abstract: Computers, particularly personal computers, have become everyday communications devices, nearly as common as telephones and televisions. A big reason for this is the expansion of computer networks, such as the Internet, which allow sending and receiving information, including audio and video information, from one computer to one or more other computers. Communicating audio and video information between computers can be problematic because users have to wait for the information to be fully downloaded before viewing or hearing it and because different computers sometimes communicate using incompatible communications protocols, which prevents comprehension. Accordingly, the inventors devised new methods, software, and computer systems that support interactive data streaming (real-time exchange of multimedia data) and full-duplex communications, for example, network conferencing, using more than one communications protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Andres Vega-Garcia, Mu Han, Donald R. Ryan, Thomas Pfenning, Rajeev Byrisetty, Stefan Solomon, Michael Clark
  • Publication number: 20020174171
    Abstract: Client-server conference and user seeking is disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes at least one server of a first type, a server of a second type, and a client. Each of the at least one server of the first type maintains at least one conference. The server of the second type stores a server list of the servers of the first type. The client queries this latter server to obtain the server list, and then is able to query each server on the list to learn of the conferences maintained by these servers. User lists may also be maintained by either the first and/or second server types, for querying by the client.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 1998
    Publication date: November 21, 2002
    Inventors: RAJEEV BYRISETTY, MU HAN, DON RYAN, THOMAS PFENNING, STEFAN SOLOMON