Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Jeffrey J Johnson

Raju Jain

Lauren Nicole Antonoff

Peter Gregory Davis

Martijn Eldert Van Tilburg

Michael Philip Arcuri

Gregory Thomas Mattox, Jr

Hani Saliba

Steve Seixeiro

Kiran Kumar

Jesse Clay Satterfield

Ralf Groene

Brian M Jones

Jason Matthew Cahill

Anthony Reed

Liang Zhang

Panos Costa Panay

Tjeerd Hoek

Sharon Drasnin

Innokentiy Basmov

Kenneth Martin Tubbs

Brandon V Taylor

Benjamin Salim Srour

John D Fan

Ryan A Haveson

Thomas Scott Coon

Craig Thomas McIntyre

Giles Edward Van Der Bogert

Michael D McCormack

Raj B Merchant

Stephen Matlock

John E Inman

Steven J Sinofsky

Zachary Pace

Sean Gilmour

Levi Siebens

Dipesh Bhattarai

Deven Gulab Hariyani

Khai Weyn Ong

Alexis Warren Manning

David Michael Schab

Michael B Christiansen

A communal computing device, such as an interactive digital whiteboard, can become unlocked if a user is near the device. The communal computing device may use a sensor such as a camera to capture images of a person and obtain an identifier from a personal device such as a smartphone. A cloud-based provider that is trusted by both the communal computing device and the personal device may associate both the image and the identifier of the personal device with the same user identity. Obtaining the user identity from multiple, different sources provides a secure technique for the communal computing device to recognize a user without the user directly interacting with the communal computing device. If the sensor no longer detects the user or the personal device is no longer detected, then the communal computing device may log off the user. The personal device may be used to confirm log off.

Proximity-based unlocking of communal computing devices

A user provides an identification (ID) signal (e.g. a biometric ID signal like a self-snapshot) to a trusted cloud-based provider. When the user attempts to authenticate with the cloud-based provider, a similar ID signal (e.g. another self-snapshot) for the user is captured and provided to the cloud-based provider. The cloud-based provider then obtains a secondary ID signal, or a combination of secondary ID signals, and utilizes the secondary ID signal, or signals, to identify a subset of user records to be searched for the ID signal. The subset of the records, rather than all of the user records, can then be searched for the ID signal. The cloud-based provider can then authenticate the user based on the results of the search of the subset of the user records.

Authenticating users of communal computing devices using a limited search scope

In non-limiting examples of the present disclosure, systems, methods and devices for integrating web services in shell constructs are provided. Web browsing data, application activity data, and/or device data for a user may be received. A machine learning model may be applied to the data. One or more recommendations may be surfaced based on application of the machine learning model to the data. The recommendations may comprise one or more of: recommendations to install applications; recommendations to add service extensions; recommendations to pin and/or add a shortcut to a website; and/or recommendations to add platform integration services amongst multiple devices.

Site and service signals for driving automated custom system configuration

In non-limiting examples of the present disclosure, systems, methods and devices for assisting with event execution are provided. Data from a productivity application associated with a user may be analyzed. A significant life event associated with the user may be identified based on the analysis. A plurality of sources that each have at least one recommendation for executing a type of event corresponding to the significant event may be identified. An itinerary template for the significant life event may be generated from a plurality of the recommendations. The itinerary template may be surfaced. Additional examples of the present disclosure relate to identifying relevant applications for download to a user's device managed by an administrator device.

Electronic concierge for automating event planning and application curation

User experience adaptation techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an apparatus includes a connection portion configured to be removably physically and communicatively with a computing device, a housing physically connected to the connection portion and providing an outer surface having one or more characteristics that are viewable by a user, and memory disposed within the housing and configured to communicate data to the computing device via the connection portion, the data usable by the computing device to dynamically adapt a user interface displayable by a display device of the computing device to mimic the one or more physical characteristics of the housing.

User experience adaptation

This document describes techniques and apparatuses enabling gesture-based authentication without retained credentialing gestures. The techniques are capable of determining an identifier for a credentialing gesture where the identifier can be reproduced on receiving a similar authentication gesture at a later time. The identifier for the credentialing gesture can be encrypted, sent to a secure authentication entity, and then, when an authentication gesture is received, an identifier for the authentication gesture can also be determined, encrypted, and sent to the secure authentication entity. If the secure authentication entity determines that the encrypted identifiers match, the user is authenticated.

Gesture-based authentication without retained credentialing gestures

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

The techniques and systems disclosed herein generally pertain to managing permissions for applications to allow the applications to run in a background state by an operating system. In some embodiments, user interfaces may be used to allow users to manage application permissions without requiring the user to understand specifics of background applications, but rather by providing a predetermined threshold number of permissions that the user can assign to applications. When the predetermined threshold number of permissions has been allocated and a subsequent application requests a permission, the user may replace or swap out an application that currently has a permission by giving the permission to the requesting application.

Background application management

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a user interface. The disclosed systems and methods may include receiving a request to initiate an application program configured to generate a data file. Furthermore, the disclosed systems and methods may include displaying, by the initiated application program, a property panel in response to the request. The property panel may be configured to receive meta-data to be associated with the data file generated by the application program. Also, the property panel may be configured to provide the only place to receive the meta-data by the application program. Moreover, the disclosed systems and methods may include receiving the meta-data in the property panel.

Methods and systems for providing a customized user interface for viewing and editing meta-data

Methods, systems, and computer program products digitally sign an electronic entity, such as an electronic document, with a user-entered signature image. The method involves rendering the document and rendering a sign dialog. Rendering the sign dialog includes prompting the signer to write a signature to sign the document. The method also involves receiving and inking the signature from the signer, creating a digital representation incorporating an image of the signature; creating a unique value of the image of the signature and of the document, and saving the unique value in association with the document thereby digitally signing the document. The unique value saved in association with the document is verifiable for authenticity by users of the document. Additionally, the method may also involve automatically selecting a signing certificate appropriate for the signer based on selection criteria.

Digitally signing an electronic document with a user-entered signature image

Systems and methods for detecting and removing metadata and hidden information from a file. A system can include a review module to identify metadata and hidden information, and a scrubber module for removing the metadata and hidden information from the file. The scrubber module can remove the metadata and hidden information automatically or upon prompting the user. The file can be a file attached to an electronic mail. The file can also be a file uploaded to a server.

Systems and methods for detection and removal of metadata and hidden information in files

Displaying controls in a toolbar display based on the control's usage. A toolbar displays controls, including a special control for accessing a drop-off well display for those controls not fitting into the toolbar display. A Most Recently Used parameter is associated with each control and is determined by the user's selection of individual controls. When the user selects a control from the drop-off well display, the Most Recently Used parameter associated with the selected control is updated to indicate that it is the control that has been used most recently. Preferably, the toolbar display attempts to expand to incorporate the selected control. If the toolbar display can be expanded, then the selected control is added to the toolbar display and placed in the toolbar displayed in a predefined relational order. If the toolbar display cannot be expanded, then a calculation is performed to determine which controls to display in the toolbar and which controls to place in the drop-off well display. This calculation is based on the Most Recently Used parameter and the display size of the associated control. Only those most recently used controls will be displayed in the toolbar display and the remaining controls will be placed in the drop-off well display.

Method for dynamically displaying controls in a toolbar display based on control usage

Drop down menus provided by a computer program are provided in two states, a short menu state and a long menu state. When a user opens a desired menu, the menu opened will initially take the form of a short menu of executable commands which are a subset of the total number of executable commands available under the selected menu. The short menu may be dynamically expanded into a long menu which will contain the complete set of executable commands available under the selected menu. The short menu may be adapted to the personal needs of the user when the user selects commands from the long menu which are not contained in the short menu. Usage information is stored and updated on the usage of each menu command added to a short menu. Menu commands are removed from the adapted short menus based on non-use of those menu commands by the user. Information stored, maintained, and updated on the usage of the menu commands added to the short menus is stored in a compact and efficient data structure which facilitates efficient computer memory use.

Adaptive menus

A method and apparatus for inserting a selected graphic control within a spreadsheet, chart, or dialog sheet. The graphic control can be selected from a Forms button toolbar and then positioned within a desired workspace of a spreadsheet program. The graphic controls provided on the Forms button toolbar include a check box, an option box, a list box, a drop-down box, a combination list-edit box, a combination drop-down list-edit box, a scrollbar, and a spinner. A Format Object properties dialog box is also provided on the Forms button toolbar to enable the user to set various parameters for the graphic control. These parameters include an identification of the cell within the spreadsheet to which the graphic control is bi-directionally linked. If the user manipulates the graphic control, a value in the spreadsheet cell that is linked to the graphic control changes in a corresponding fashion. Similarly, any change to the spreadsheet cell linked to the graphic control is reflected within the graphic control. With this tool, the user can apply graphic controls to the spreadsheet program without requiring the user be skilled in programming.

Method and system for linking controls with cells of a spreadsheet

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Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Jeffrey J Johnson