Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Google Inc.

Sproqit Technologies, Inc.

Chad Schwitters

Roman Sherman

William Hong Vong

Peter M Mansour

Andy Kispert

Andy Peterson

A system for a direct social network comprises a first device and a second device. The first device of the social network includes a first contact list. The first contact list includes a first plurality of users. The second device of the social network includes a second contact list. The second list includes a second plurality of users. The first device directly requests data from the second device when a user of the second device is one of the first plurality of users. The second device transmits the requested data when the user of the first device is one of the second plurality of users.

System and method for a direct social network

A distributed user interface (UI) system includes a client device configured to render a UI for a server-based application. The client device communicates with a UI server over a network such as the Internet. The UI server performs formatting for the UI, which preferably utilizes a number of native UI controls that are available locally at the client device. In this manner, the client device need only be responsible for the actual rendering of the UI. The source data items are downloaded from the UI server to the client device when necessary, and the client device populates the UI with the downloaded source data items. The client device employs a cache to store the source data items locally for easy retrieval.

Platform-independent distributed user interface server architecture

A portable handheld computing device has a notification system that alerts a user of an event regardless of whether the device is on or off. The notification system has a notification mechanism that is activated upon occurrence of the event and remains active until the user acknowledges the activated mechanism. In one implementation, the notification mechanism is a light emitting diode (LED) mounted externally on the handheld computing device. The LED is visible to the user when the lid is closed onto the base (i.e., the device is off) or when the lid is open (i.e., the device is on). The notification mechanism also has a deactivation button mounted externally of the handheld computing device. The user depresses the deactivation button to deactivate the LED. The LED and deactivation button may be integrated as a single component.

Handheld computing device with external notification system

A device and method for synchronizing information between computer systems is provided. Certain subsets of information may be synchronized, while excluding other information from the synchronization process. The determination of the information subset to synchronize requires no explicit designation by the user. Instead, the subset of information to be synchronized is ascertained through actions of the user that implicitly indicate the user's interest in the information, allowing for an intuitive assumption of the user's synchronization desires, and requiring no user activity outside of the user's normal operational activity.

Selective information synchronization based on implicit user designation

An apparatus and method for selectively synchronizing a subset of objects of an object set between first and second object stores. A subset of objects is defined as a plurality of selected objects of the object set. A selection identifier corresponding to an exclusive synchronization mode designation is received. Where the selection identifier corresponds to a first identification state, all of the objects of the object set are synchronized. Where the selection identifier corresponds to a second state, only the subset of objects is synchronized, whereby the plurality of objects comprising the subset of objects can be designated for synchronization without individual designation of the objects targeted for synchronization.

Selective information subset synchronization based on single user action

A set of APIs is used in creating and maintaining hierarchical folder structure for the storage of electronic messages in a hand-held computer. Such a folder structure permits the creation of a folder hierarchy for each message service with which the user has an account. As a result, the hand-held message store can organize messages received from different services. The APIs provide the functions necessary for an application process to access messages in the hierarchical folder structure. This set of APIs also provides backwards compatibility with APIs utilized to create and maintain a flat folder structure organization of the message store. This backward compatibility permits a hand-held computer embodying the present invention to be used to execute application processes that were developed to interact with an earlier generation flat folder structure.

Application programming interface functions for supporting an improved message store for hand-held computers

A method of operating a hand-held computer including a database and a data port for communications with a server, the database including a plurality of records that correspond to a folder data structure. The method comprises searching the database for an available folder ID; creating a folder, the folder having a data structure being stored as a record in the database and including folder ID field, a parent folder ID field, and a folder name field, the available folder ID being stored in the folder ID field; and repeating searching and creating thereby creating a plurality of folders, wherein the value stored in the folder ID field for one folder equals the value stored in the parent folder ID field for another folder, thereby creating a parent/child relationship between the folders.

Growing community of inventors

Redmond, WA, United States of America

Chad Schwitters