Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Kong-Kat Wong

Difei Tang

Xu Ji

Sin Lew

Wei Hun Liew

Sun H Shaw

Eric Chang

Thomas F Bergstraesser

Hugh A Teegan

Yongzhi Yang

Rebecca Jo Sundling

David Shigeru Taniguchi

Zhifeng Wang

David B Dehghan

Imran Aziz

Eric Anthony Reel

Shailesh Prakash

Stanley Sun

Mackenzie Steele

Chong I Ka

Weihun Liew

James Cao

Helen Jean Cuncannan

Michael P Gordon

Described is a technology by which a mobile computing device such as a mobile telephone operates differently based on detected proximity to another mobile device with which the first mobile device has a defined relationship. For example, the first mobile device may transfer content to the second mobile computing device when proximity corresponds to a non-cellular communications coupling, such as Bluetooth&#xae; or Wi-Fi coupling. In this manner, content transfer is deferred until a non-cellular coupling exists. The mobile device (or both devices) may output a notification to indicate that the other mobile computing device has been detected within a threshold proximity, such as via GPS data or by being within the same cellular tower. The type and/or settings of an output notification may vary based on different thresholds.

Mobile device communication

Modifying mobile device operation using proximity relationships

A universal passive interface for connecting external systems to smart devices such as cell phones and PDAs. The passive system includes a cradle for receiving a compatible smart device that connects the functionality of the smart device to a wide variety of external systems (e.g., printers, large display, input devices, etc.). The passive interface includes a USB hub, network port, and other common connector ports for peripherals and other systems. The smart device can connect to the passive system via the cradle slot, a tether, and/or wirelessly. The external systems to which the passive system serves at the interface to the smart device include, but are not limited to, large displays (e.g., television), external monitors, input devices such as mice and keyboards, external storage devices, and networks (wired and/or wireless). A wizard allows the user to configure the external systems to work with the smart device.

Passive interface and software configuration for portable devices

An 'Automatic Communicator' provides automated communications services between portable electronic devices (such as, for example, cell phones, PDA's, media players, portable computers, etc.) to facilitate information transfer and matching services while minimizing or eliminating the need for human involvement in responding to queries from one electronic device to another. Such communications are enabled by allowing portable electronic devices ('requesting devices') to send a query to other portable electronic devices (&#x201c;answering devices&#x201d;), and have one or more of those answering devices automatically respond to the query without requiring users of the answering devices to become involved in providing that response. In effect, this allows the portable electronic devices of users to act as digital &#x201c;butlers&#x201d; or &#x201c;personal assistants&#x201d; that respond to queries on behalf of the users of those devices. In various embodiments, privacy concerns are addressed by authenticating authorized requesting devices or limiting information returned in response to queries.

Automated mobile communications

A 'Proxi-Mapper' combines location based services (LBS), local searching capabilities, and relative mapping in a way that minimizes bandwidth requirements and maximizes user experience. The Proxi-Mapper automatically determines approximate locations of one or more local user devices (cell phones, PDA's, media players, portable computing devices, etc.) and returns a lightweight model of local entities ('key-points') representing businesses, services or people to those devices. Key-points are maintained in one or more remote databases in which key-points are assigned to predetermined grid sections based on the locations of the corresponding entities. Metadata associated with the key-points provides the user with additional information relating to the corresponding entities. In various embodiments, user query options allow the Proxi-Mapper to pull or push relevant local key-point based information to user devices via one or more wired or wireless networks.

Location mapping for key-point based services

A vertical search engine may rank items based on both the quality of data associated with each item and the popularity of each item. The vertical search engine may access data associated with items from a variety of different sources, including feed sources and crawl sources. Data quality inputs are determined for each item based on the quality of the data associated with each respective item. In addition, popularity inputs are determined for each item based on user interest in each respective item. A global rankings score is then calculated for each item based on the data quality inputs and popularity inputs for each respective item. The global ranking score may be used to order search results for search queries in such a way that items from feed data and items from crawl data may be displayed in a unified manner, rather than being segregated by data source.

Consumer-focused results ordering

A system and method for performing click stream analysis is described. In one implementation, a Web log is processed to reconstruct a visit made by a user to a Web site. The Web log contains records representing actions performed by the user during the visit including any actions that may be designated a commerce event. A sequential identification is assigned to each record and the sequential identification is stored with the associated record in a database. Any records representing actions performed by the user that are designated as a commerce event are identified. The database is queried for a certain quantity of records representing actions performed by the user prior to and/or subsequent to the commerce event, based on the sequential identification assigned to each record.

System and method for performing click stream analysis

An automated workflow services system can accommodate a wide variety of workflow scenarios. A composition service, a constraint service, and a tracking service can be provided to client programs. The composition service can support client-directed instantiation of actions for activity flows. Activity flows can be based on an activity model, constructed on an ad hoc basis, or a combination thereof. Actions can be added to an activity flow at execution time of the activity flow. The tracking service can track messages to and from the actions.

Workflow services architecture

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Renton, WA, United States of America

Kong-Kat Wong