Samuel D Hobson

56945590, Dec 2, 1997

Mar 7, 1995

8/400797

Samuel D. Hobson - Seattle WA
Eric Horvitz - Kirkland WA
David E. Heckerman - Bellevue WA
John S. Breese - Mercer Island WA
Gregory L. Shaw - Kirkland WA
James R. Flynn - Bellevue WA
Karen Jensen - Bellevue WA

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

G06F 1728
G06F 1730

395336

An improved free text query method and system is provided as part of an improved on-line help system. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the on-line help system provides a free text query system that performs partial analysis. The partial analysis performed by the preferred embodiment includes identifying keywords within input provided by the user, performing disambiguation analysis, performing definiteness analysis, performing capitalization analysis, and generating a ranked list of candidates according to a probability associated with each candidate. In addition, the preferred embodiment of the present invention is internationalizable. That is, the present invention is easily ported between different languages.

59038969, May 11, 1999

Jul 15, 1997

8/892696

Benjamin Waldman - Seattle WA
Samuel David Hobson - Palo Alto CA

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

G06F17/30

707200

Installing for use with a computer a file on demand using a preview file. A feature of a program is represented by a preview file and a feature file. The feature file contains all the components necessary to support the feature. The preview file contains a subset of the feature file. Only the preview file is initially installed. The preview file may be used to preview and select the feature. If the feature is selected, then the feature file is installed and the preview file is deleted.

62600354, Jul 10, 2001

Nov 20, 1998

9/197159

Eric Horvitz - Kirkland WA
John S. Breese - Mercer Island WA
David E. Heckerman - Bellevue WA
Samuel D. Hobson - Seattle WA
David O. Hovel - Redmond WA
Adrian C. Klein - Seattle WA
Jacobus A. Rommelse - Westerhoven, NL
Gregory L. Shaw - Kirkland WA

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

G06F 1700

706 60

A general event composing and monitoring system that allows high-level events to be created from combinations of low-level events. An event specification tool allows for rapid development of a general event processor that creates high-level events from combinations of user actions. The event system, in combination with a reasoning system, is able to monitor and perform inference about several classes of events for a variety of purposes. The various classes of events include the current context, the state of key data structures in a program, general sequences of user inputs, including actions with a mouse-controlled cursor while interacting with a graphical user interface, words typed in free-text queries for assistance, visual information about users, such as gaze and gesture information, and speech information. Additionally, a method is provided for building an intelligent user interface system by constructing a reasoning model to compute the probability of alternative user's intentions, goals, or informational needs through analysis of information about a user's actions, program state, and words. The intelligent user interface system monitors user interaction with a software application and applies probabilistic reasoning to sense that the user may need assistance in using a particular feature or to accomplish a specific task.

62627309, Jul 17, 2001

Nov 20, 1998

9/197158

Eric Horvitz - Kirkland WA
John S. Breese - Mercer Island WA
David E. Heckerman - Bellevue WA
Samuel D. Hobson - Seattle WA
David O. Hovel - Redmond WA
Adrian C. Klein - Seattle WA
Jacobus A. Rommelse - Westerhoven, NL
Gregory L. Shaw - Kirkland WA

Microsoft Corp - Redmond WA

G06F 300

345337

An intelligent user assistance system is disclosed. The system is constructed using a reasoning model to determine the probability of a user's intentions, goals, or informational needs in the context of a software program. This is accomplished through analysis of information about the user's actions, the program state, and spoken words. The system monitors user interaction with the software program and applies probabilistic reasoning to sense that the user may need assistance in using a particular feature or to accomplish a specific task. The inference system accesses a thorough and updateable user profile system to continually check for competencies and changes assistance that is given based on the competencies.

60258411, Feb 15, 2000

Jul 15, 1997

8/892771

Erich Soren Finkelstein - Redmond WA
Samuel David Hobson - Palo Alto CA
Adrian Klein - Seattle WA
Benjamin Waldman - Seattle WA

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

G06F 314

345342

A method for managing simultaneous display of multiple windows in a graphical user interface (GUI). A computer system with a display and user interface input device displays a primary or container window on the display, comprising a predetermined region for displaying information and/or receiving user commands associated with a first computer process. The system displays a target window comprising a predetermined region for displaying information and/or receiving user commands associated with a different computer process. The target window is typically displayed in a higher z-order relative to the primary window to maintain it on top. In response to a predetermined triggering condition, the target window is manipulated by movement, temporary disappearance, and/or size reduction, while maintaining the relative z-order of the target window relative to the primary window and away from a predetermined avoidance region associated with the first computer process. The target window can be moved away a minimal distance, biased in a predetermined direction, or positioned at anchor points relative to the container window to avoid obscuring the avoidance region.

62335707, May 15, 2001

Nov 20, 1998

9/197160

Eric Horvitz - Kirkland WA
John S. Breese - Mercer Island WA
David E. Heckerman - Bellevue WA
Samuel D. Hobson - Seattle WA
David O. Hovel - Redmond WA
Adrian C. Klein - Seattle WA
Jacobus A. Rommelse - Westerhoven, NL
Gregory L. Shaw - Kirkland WA

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

G06F 1700

706 11

A general event composing and monitoring system that allows high-level events to be created from combinations of low-level events. An event specification tool allows for rapid development of a general event processor that creates high-level events from combinations of user actions. The event system, in combination with a reasoning system, is able to monitor and perform inference about several classes of events for a variety of purposes. The various classes of events include the current context, the state of key data structures in a program, general sequences of user inputs, including actions with a mouse-controlled cursor while interacting with a graphical user interface, words typed in free-text queries for assistance, visual information about users, such as gaze and gesture information, and speech information. Additionally, a method is provided for building an intelligent user interface system by constructing a reasoning model to compute the probability of alternative user's intentions, goals, or informational needs through analysis of information about a user's actions, program state, and words. The intelligent user interface system monitors user interaction with a software application and applies probabilistic reasoning to sense that the user may need assistance in using a particular feature or to accomplish a specific task.

60214031, Feb 1, 2000

Jul 19, 1996

8/684003

Eric Horvitz - Kirkland WA
John S. Breese - Mercer Island WA
David E. Heckerman - Bellevue WA
Samuel D. Hobson - Seattle WA
David O. Hovel - Redmond WA
Adrian C. Klein - Seattle WA
Jacobus A. Rommelse - Weterhoven, NL
Gregory L. Shaw - Kirkland WA

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

G06F 1720

706 45

An event composing and monitoring system that allows high-level events to be created from combinations of low-level events. An event specification tool, contained in the system, allows for rapidly developing a general event processor that creates high-level events from combinations of user actions. An event system, in combination with an inference system, monitors and infers, for various purposes, about several classes of events including: current program context; state of key data structures; user input sequences, including actions with a mouse-controlled cursor while interacting with a graphical user interface; words typed in free-text help queries; visual user information, such as gaze and gesture information; and user speech information. Additionally, an intelligent user interface is provided by constructing a reasoning model that computes probability of alternative user intentions, goals or information needs through analyzing information regarding program state, and that user's actions and free-text query words. Specifically, the interface monitors user interaction with a program and probabilistically reasons to sense that a user may need assistance in using a particular feature or to accomplish a specific task.