Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Kiran Kumar

Peter Gregory Davis

Raju Jain

Craig Thomas McIntyre

Michael C Hilsdale

Liang Zhang

Jeffrey J Johnson

Paul Clay Barr

Isaiah Ng

Dipesh Bhattarai

Jeff Johnson

Kedarnath Atmaram Dubhashi

Jonathan Marshall Cain

Matthias Baer

Gregory Alan Howard

Jonathan David Wiswall

John A Bocharov

Jason C Mayans

Bryan Kim Mamaril

Gilles Khouzam

Gordon George Free

Hany Farag

Jeffrey V Johnson

Guillermo Enrique Rueda

Jessica Bourgade

Alyssa Ann Dunn

Tom Coon

Jack B Gerrits

Craig Thomas Mcintyre

Jeffrey Johnson

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

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

A system for generating proximal menus described herein can include a processor to detect a location of a touch gesture on a display device coupled to the system. The processor can also determine a proximal menu is to be displayed at the location of the touch gesture and populate the proximal menu with at least one feature corresponding to a ring of an operating system. Furthermore, the processor can display the proximal menu with the at least one feature within an executed application.

Proximal menu generation

A communal computing device such as an interactive digital whiteboard can provide progressively more access to functionality and data on the device based on a level of certainty in the identity of a user. If a user is identified based on one or more low-fidelity identification signals such as an image of the user or a device identifier, the communal computing device may provide a first level of functionality that is limited. If the user requests greater access, the communal computing device can request that a trusted cloud-based provider authenticate the user by way of a personal device, such as a smartphone. The authentication may be a password or high-fidelity biometric identification. The cloud-based provider communicates successful authentication to the communal computing device and it, in turn, provides the user access to higher, second level of functionality.

Progressive access to data and device functionality

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described here that identify meeting content. A meeting content determiner in a shared computing device identifies a group including two or more participants in a meeting, where at least one participant of the group is logged into an account associated with a meeting content determiner. Further, the meeting content determiner identifies content associated with the two or more participants, and accessible by the at least one participant logged into the account and displays indications of the identified content to one or more participants of the group.

Identification of meeting group and related content

Various embodiments for software application verification are disclosed. Software application verification applies digital rights management to applications that run protected content on a playback device. In this way, protected content may be provided to approved applications and withheld from applications that have not been approved to run the protected content.

Software application verification

Growing community of inventors

Redmond, WA, United States of America

Kiran Kumar