Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Giles Edward Van Der Bogert

Michael G Sheldon

Steve Seixeiro

John E Brezak

Jerry K Koh

Levi Siebens

Zachary Pace

Sean Gilmour

Chris J Guzak

Christopher J Guzak

Anshul Rawat

Jeff Johnson

Mohammed Samji

Kenneth Martin Tubbs

Jonathan D Schwartz

Tracy Dianne Schultz

Brian D Wentz

Zeke Book Odins-Lucas

Daniel Oliver

Kelly Elizabeth Rollin

Edward Boyle Averett

Jeffrey J Johnson

Anil Kumar Yadav

Michael D McCormack

Ram Ramasubramanian

Brian L McNeil

Stephane St-Michel

Andrew V Davidson

Michael David Mccormack

Ken Tubbs

Nicholas John Tomacelli

Brian Mcneil

In one embodiment, a picture signature password system may use a picture signature password to determine access to a computing device or service. A display screenmay display a personalized digital image. A user input devicemay receive a user drawing set executed by a user over the personalized digital image. A processormay authenticate access to the user session if the user drawing set matches a library drawing set associated with the user.

Picture gesture authentication

Systems and methods are provided for defining a default handler software application in response to an event at a computer. An event, for example, a user opening a file with a specific extension or accessing a uniform resource locator (URL) with a specific protocol, may trigger the operating system to instantiate a user-level default handler program associated with the event type and the specific user. Users may define user-level default handlers through a centralized user interface maintained by the operating system. During the application installation process, an application may register lists of supported events that the application is capable of handling.

Per user file associations

A platform supports an unmanaged secured workgroup, without a server, for common user access and secure resource sharing among the computers in the group. User accounts are synchronized by replicating and modifying the accounts at each computer of the unmanaged secured workgroup. A computer advertises a change in account information to other computers in an unmanaged secured workgroup. If one of computers in the unmanaged secured workgroup determines that the change is not reflected in the current account information, the computer requests the updated account information from the advertising computer. Any conflicts between user accounts at different computers are resolved before synchronizing the user account in the unmanaged secured workgroup. Also, an application program interface (API) enables an application to query properties of a networked computer system and an unmanaged secured workgroup and to join the unmanaged secured workgroup.

Account synchronization for common identity in an unmanaged network

System(s), method(s), and/or technique(s) ('tools') are described that enable a user to permit multiple tasks requiring elevated rights with as little as one rights elevation. For example, the tools may enable an installation wizard operating within a limited-rights context to perform multiple tasks that require a higher-rights context with a single rights elevation by the user. The tools may do so using an object agent, an instance of which may be created by the installation wizard following a single rights elevation. This instance of the object agent then creates instances of other objects without requiring that the user elevate his or her rights. These other objects' instances may then run the tasks that require the higher-rights context.

Permitting multiple tasks requiring elevated rights

Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for configuring computing devices to join a peer group. A peer group may be created on a subnetwork by a computing device. When a new computing device enters the subnetwork, it may join the peer group and be given access to the shared resources on the peer group and associated computing devices, using a communications layer and an authorization layer. Allowing a new computing device to join a peer group includes inviting the new device to join and then challenging the device for a passkey of the peer group. After joining the peer group, the computing device will be able to access and share resources with the peer group and other computing devices associated with the peer group.

Configuration of a peer group

A method and apparatus for transferring user profiles between computing devices using portable storage devices is disclosed. A portable storage device (PSD) is connected to a computing device, the computing device reads user profile data from the PSD and configures itself according to that data. If the user profile data is changed on the computing device, those changes are synchronized on the PSD.

Transfer of user profiles using portable storage devices

Growing community of inventors

Redmond, WA, United States of America

Giles Edward Van Der Bogert