Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Jason C Mayans

Alvin Mok

Aaron Hartwell

Andy Brauninger

Narasimhan Sundararajan

Peter Gregory Davis

Alice Jane Bernheim Brush

Danyel Aharon Fisher

David Richard Reed

Michael Anthony Faoro

Raju Jain

Jonathan David Wiswall

Paul Clay Barr

Teresa Mah

Paul David Tischhauser

Brendan Clarke Fields

Kiran Kumar

Suryanarayana Murty Gorti

Craig Thomas McIntyre

Michael C Hilsdale

Paul A McDaniel

William Ritter Avery

Guillermo Enrique Rueda

Barry Adrian Shepherd

David S Barlin

Tom Coon

Michael R Dean

Agnita Pandian

Ian Peacock

Khurrum Malik

Steven Neil Silverman

Dan Murillo

Cliff M R Don

Remi A J Lemarchand

A multi-user computing device, such a communal computing device like an interactive digital whiteboard, can execute single user aware ('SUA') applications and multi-user aware ('MUA') applications. Instances of SUA applications execute in the context of a single user. MUA applications can execute in the contexts of multiple authenticated users simultaneously. A multi-user aware OS platform authenticates and de-authenticates users of the multi-user computing device. The multi-user aware OS platform provides notifications to MUA applications when users are authenticated and de-authenticated. When a new user is authenticated, MUA applications begin executing in the context of the newly authenticated user and any other previously authenticated users. When users are de-authenticated, MUA applications stop executing in the context of the de-authenticated user but continue executing in the context of the remaining authenticated users of the multi-user computing device. Data associated with the de-authenticated user is removed from the multi-user computing device.

Multi-user computing device configured for executing applications in multiple user contexts simultaneously

Embodiments of the present invention relate to set of improvements to the out of office assistant that send out of office messages to senders of messages while a recipient is out of the office. One embodiment of the out of office assistant associates an out of office message with a calendar event to ensure the out of office message is sent only for the predetermined time period associated with the calendar event. Other embodiments of the out of office assistant generating different messages to people internal to an organization and people external to an organization, and the out of office assistant allows different rich text formatting for the different messages. In a further embodiment, a persistent reminder reminds the user that the out of office message application is turned on.

Out of office message improvements

A computing device includes a processing unit, and a system memory connected to the processing unit. The system memory includes instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, cause the processing unit to create: a demographic identification module that retrieves demographic profile information associated with a user and identifies a relevant demographic category based on the demographic profile information; a population search module that categorizes search information from other users within the relevant demographic category as the other users search for information, the search information including search terms used by the other users and destination content reviewed by the other users; and a search result module that filters a search query from the user by applying the categorized search information for the relevant demographic category and presents filtered search results to the user.

Role based search

The present invention extends to methods, systems, data structures, and computer program products for organizing electronic mail messages into conversations. Electronic mail conversation items store attribute values representing attributes of corresponding electronic mail conversations and included electronic mail messages. Attributes of an electronic mail conversation can be changed by changing stored attribute values. Receiving an electronic mail message can cause an existing electronic mail conversation to be updated or a new electronic mail conversation to be created. When it is indicated that an operation is to be performed on an electronic mail conversation, a corresponding related operation can be performed on all electronic mail messages included in the electronic mail conversation. Attribute values of an electronic mail conversation can be presented along with portions of included electronic mail messages at a user-interface.

Presenting and manipulating electronic mail conversations

A computer-implemented method for assisting in the scheduling of a meeting. A user who desires to schedule a meeting simply inputs the relevant meeting parameters. In response, the computer evaluates a number of possible meeting times by comparing the input constraints against a predetermined set of suitability criteria. Based on this evaluation, the system identifies suggested meeting time(s), and also may identify rooms suitable for each meeting time. The system also calculates an estimated desirability for each suggested meeting time based on its compliance with the suitability criteria. The suggested meeting time(s) and a visual indicator of desirability for each time are then displayed. In addition, the raw free-busy data for each attendee may still be displayed. When the user selects a suggested meeting time, an electronic meeting request is automatically populated with the meeting time and a suitable place associated with the suggested meeting time.

Facilitating automated meeting scheduling

Organizing electronic mail messages into conversations

The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates creating a calendar that enables optimized awareness of at least one event. An interface component can receive data related to an event. An enhanced scheduler component can create a calendar that enables a bifocal calendar view to display an event correlated to a first date with a first time-scale and an event correlated to a second date with a second time-scale.

Bifocal view: a novel calendar user interface

Real time availability data (free/busy data) is provided for potential meeting attendees and/or assets. An availability service is queried for availability data for one or more attendees and/or meeting assets. The availability service determines the identity of an electronic mailbox server on which is stored current real time calendaring data for the desired attendees and/or assets. The requested data is retrieved by the availability service from one or more mailbox servers having data for each attendee and/or asset. Potential attendees may set permissions on their respective availability data to restrict the amount and types of data that may be retrieved by a given data requester. Data queries and data responses may be structured according to the Extensible Markup Language (XML) and application programming interfaces (API) may be exposed for allowing requesting applications to efficiently call the availability service for availability data.

Availability data service

Data types can be created, modified and deployed in multi-tier database systems by using extended assemblies. The extended assemblies are created by a back end server using the data and code contained in special tables and object tables of the back end server. The back end server determines which data types are to be deployed in the system, based on push or pull conditions. Thereafter, the corresponding extended assemblies are to be obtained and sent to one or more middle tier servers that utilize the extended assemblies to use the data types. However, some of the middle tier servers may need to be configured with appropriate logic modules prior to utilizing the extended assemblies. A data type can be created or modified by creating or editing data and code contained in the special table and object tables prior to creating the extended assemblies.

Database driven type extensibility

Growing community of inventors

Snohomish, WA, United States of America

Jason C Mayans