Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

David W Williams

Zhengyou Zhang

Zicheng Liu

Yuan Kong

Hok-Sum Horace Luke

Otto G Berkes

Michael Jack Sinclair

David J Kurlander

Silviu-Petru Cucerzan

Victor Keith Blanco

Behrooz Chitsaz

Valerie R See

James Thomas Kajiya

J Turner Whitted

Jeffrey Hill

Yuri Zieman

Mike Sinclair

Multi-modal, multi-lingual devices can be employed to consolidate numerous items including, but not limited to, keys, remote controls, image capture devices, audio recorders, cellular telephone functionalities, location/direction detectors, health monitors, calendars, gaming devices, smart home inputs, pens, optical pointing devices or the like. For example, a corner of a cellular telephone can be used as an electronic pen. Moreover, the device can be used to snap multiple pictures stitching them together to create a panoramic image. A device can automate ignition of an automobile, initiate appliances, etc. based upon relative distance. The device can provide for near to eye capabilities for enhanced image viewing. Multiple cameras/sensors can be provided on a single device to provide for stereoscopic capabilities. The device can also provide assistance to blind, privacy, etc. by consolidating services.

Data buddy

A system that facilitates managing resources (e.g., functionality, services) based at least in part upon an established context. More particularly, a context determination component can be employed to establish a context by processing sensor inputs or learning/inferring a user action/preference. Once the context is established via context determination component, a power/mode management component can be employed to activate and/or mask resources in accordance with the established context. The power and mode management of the device can extend life of a power source (e.g., battery) and mask functionality in accordance with a user and/or device state.

Multi-modal device power/mode management

A multimodal system that employs a plurality of sensing modalities which can be processed concurrently to increase confidence in connection with authentication. The multimodal system and/or set of various devices can provide several points of information entry in connection with authentication. Authentication can be improved, for example, by combining face recognition, biometrics, speech recognition, handwriting recognition, gait recognition, retina scan, thumb/hand prints, or subsets thereof. Additionally, portable multimodal devices (e.g., a smartphone) can be used as credit cards, and authentication in connection with such use can mitigate unauthorized transactions.

Multimodal authentication

An embodiment of a method is disclosed wherein a natural language communication is received from a user. A concept recognition process is applied to automatically derive a representation of concepts embodied in the natural language communication. A collection of information likely to be useful in responding to the natural language communication is selected based on correspondence to the representation of concepts. The collection of information is provided to a human agent through an interface. Through the interface, an identification of a particular item of information from the collection is received. The particular item is illustratively a sub-set of the collection of information, the sub-set being a particular proposed response to the natural language communication. The particular proposed response is delivered to the user.

Management of conversations

Architecture that combines capture and translation of concepts, goals, needs, locations, objects, locations, and items (e.g., sign text) into complete conversational utterances that take a translation of the item, and morph it with fluidity into sets of sentences that can be echoed to a user, and that the user can select to communicate speech (or textual utterances). A plurality of modalities that process images, audio, video, searches and cultural context, for example, which are representative of at least context and/or content, and can be employed to glean additional information regarding a communications exchange to facilitate more accurate and efficient translation. Gesture recognition can be utilized to enhance input recognition, urgency, and/or emotional interaction, for example. Speech can be used for document annotation. Moreover, translation (e.g., speech to speech, text to speech, speech to text, handwriting to speech, text or audio, . . . ) can be significantly improved in combination with this architecture.

Translation and capture architecture for output of conversational utterances

A multi-modal multi-lingual mobile device that facilitates intelligently automating an action. The device can automatically synchronize a user schedule based upon a user state, intention, preference and/or limitation. The device can employ sensors to automatically detect criteria by which to automatically implement an action. Moreover, the system can interrogate a user thus converging upon a user intention and/or preference. An analyzer component can intelligently evaluate the compiled criterion in order to automatically perform an action. The multi-modal multi-lingual mobile device can automatically facilitate identification of an individual. Other actions that are automatically performed can include modifying personal information manager data, translating languages into a language comprehendible to a user, etc. Implementation of these actions can be based at least in part upon an environmental factor, a conversation, a location factor and a temporal factor.

Multi-modal device capable of automated actions

Embodiments for cooling electronic modules are disclosed. In accordance with at least one embodiment, an electronic module is inserted into a cooling sled that is equipped with a bay. The bay of the cooling sled is equipped with a pair of sides to retain the electronic module. The electronic module contains a working fluid that is sealed inside the module with one or more electronic components. During the operation of the electronic module, the working fluid is vaporized by the heat generated by the one or more electronic components. The electronic module is then cooled via the cooling sled. The cooling of the electronic module condenses the working fluid that is vaporized by the heat generated by the one or more electronic components. The condensed cooling fluid is then returned to the one or more electronic components via a wick structure that is also sealed in the electronic module.

Electronic module cooling

An intermittent computing system state and intermittent computing module is described for a power-constrained personal computer. In the intermittent computing system state, the power-constrained personal computer may transition between sub-states of the intermittent computing system state according to an intermittent computing schedule. Each intermittent computing sub-state may be associated with hardware power sets and software power sets. Altering power supply to hardware components referenced by hardware power sets may alter power consumed in associated intermittent computing sub-states. A caching mechanism may be configured to make it likely that software components referenced by software power sets are loaded into powered storage types during associated intermittent computing sub-states. In the intermittent computing system state, periods of high functionality may be available over extended periods without the high power consumption associated with a continuous working system state. Average power consumption may be adjusted by varying the intermittent computing schedule.

Intermittent computing

A multimodal, multilanguage mobile device which can be employed to enhance note taking and/or annotation of a document, and gaming. Input data types such as optical character recognition (OCR), speech, handwriting, and visual information (e.g., image and/or video), etc., can be fused to generate rich documents with a multidimensional level of data to provide an increased level of context over conventional documents. Such architecture can be utilized by students for homework management, as well as entertainment (e.g., gaming).

Multimodal note taking, annotation, and gaming

A system that facilitates consolidating resources (e.g., devices, services) based at least in part upon an established context. More particularly, a context determination component can be employed to establish a context by processing sensor inputs or learning/inferring a user action/preference. Once the context is established via a context determination component, a consolidation component can be employed to aggregate and/or disaggregate disparate resources (e.g., devices, services) in accordance with the established context. These resources can work autonomously and/or in conjunction with a subset of the other resources to provide for a highly rich multi-modal user experience.

Aggregation of multi-modal devices

The present invention relates to a synchronization system that utilizes a synchronization wizard ('PullSync') residing on a first computer device to request and receive (or 'pull') data from a second computer device. The first computer device (the &#x201c;syncer&#x201d;) copies files from shared folders on the second computer device (the &#x201c;syncee&#x201d;) in accordance with specific pull-synchronization rules (PSRs) established on the syncer that define the scope and extent of the synchronization. This copying occurs over a network connection using existing and well-defined protocols by which one computer system is able to view and copy files from the available shared folders of a second computer system, and the PullSync wizard software needs to exist only on the first computer system (the syncer) to utilize these existing networking protocols (including existing security/authentication protocols) to selectively copy files from the second computer system.

Systems and methods for the implementation of a peer-to-peer rule-based pull autonomous synchronization system

Methods for navigating a graphical user interface on a smaller display. One method may include displaying a virtual desktop or a portion of a virtual desktop on a display, displaying a map pane over the portion of the virtual desktop, wherein the map pane includes an internal frame, increasing the opacity of the map pane in response to detecting a cursor over the map pane, and panning the virtual desktop in response to detecting the cursor dragging the frame within the map pane. The map pane preferably includes a scaled down image of the virtual desktop. In one embodiment, the portion of the scaled image of the virtual desktop within the frame in the map pane corresponds to the portion of the virtual desktop displayed on the screen.

System and method for navigating a graphical user interface on a smaller display

A mechanism whereby a set of microprocessors may be set to a common mode in which the microprocessors utilize one or more features that are common to all microprocessors. The common mode facilitates proper multiprocessor operation and permits a fix (e.g., a microcode patch) to be applied to each of the microprocessors based on this common mode. More particularly, at system startup, firmware or software can detect whether microprocessors are set to run in different modes (e.g., steppings) in a multiprocessor system. If not, the microprocessors are allowed to run in their normal mode, such as by writing a particular value (e.g., zero) to a configuration register associated with each microprocessor. If features are mixed, a different value can be written, (e.g., one), which tells each microprocessor to revert to a common mode of operation for that family of microprocessors, such as corresponding to a common stepping and/or clock speed. A common set of microcode patches may be downloaded to the microprocessors. Alternatively, the various microprocessors may also be instructed to run in a particular mode that emulates a particular stepping, e.g., by writing into the configuration register or registers a number between one and M that corresponds to a common stepping among the microprocessors.

Growing community of inventors

Woodinville, WA, United States of America

David W Williams