Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Myron C Thomas

Madhuvan Gupta

Richard William Saunders

Geoffrey John Elliott

Lev Novik

Vladimir Sadovsky

Moe Khosravy

Darren Ray Davis

Elizabeth Picchietti Salowitz

Jorg-Thomas Pfenning

Michael Scott Beckerman

Kipley J Olson

Andrew L Silverman

Michael Ray Clark

Felix Gti Andrew

Silvana Patricia Moncayo

Felix Gerard Torquil Ifor Andrew

Marc Levy

Robert Hildreth

Katherine Anne Maertens

Mark Levy

Michael S Beckeman

Techniques for modifying and presenting instructions for traversing a route include obtaining original instructions and receiving input to modify the instructions. The instructions may be modified and/or annotated based on the input received to provide more intuitive and helpful instructions for traversing a route. The modified instructions may be presented to a user of a computing device as the computing device traverses the route. The modifications and/or annotations to the original instructions may be presented as the computing device traverses the route based at least in part on the location and/or speed of the computing device on the route.

Multi modal annotation of maps

A system and method for controlling media through a user interface integrated within a taskbar is described. This system and method enable a user to control media while a user interface of another application remains in perspective. Further, this system includes a taskbar media player, which can play media and enable a user to control the play of that media from within a taskbar.

Taskbar media player

A map application is provided that receives calendars from one or more sources. Each calendar may include events, and each event may be associated with a location and a time period. The events may be a temporary event that may impact traffic around the location of the event for the time period associated with the event. When a request for a route for a future trip is received by the map application, the map application may generate a route in response to the request. The map application may determine if any of the events associated with a calendar impact the route. An event may impact the route if the route passes near the location associated with the event during the time period associated with the event. If the route is impacted by an event, an alternative route is generated or a new time is recommended for the future trip.

Generating routes using events

Calculating an optimal route based on specified intermediate stops is described herein. A mapping application is configured to compute a route from a start point to an end point in dependence upon criteria specifying one or more intermediate stops. The initial route determination incorporates consideration of the one or more specified intermediate stops as part of calculating the route. In one example, a request is received to search for an intermediate stop that satisfies search criteria indicating at least a type of location. In response to the search, search results are obtained with multiple options for routes between the start point and end point including intermediate stops that satisfy the search criteria. An optimal route is selected from the multiple options based upon defined optimization criteria. Optimization criteria may include but is not limited to distance, travel time, traffic data, weather conditions, date and time, and so forth.

Calculating an optimal route based on specified intermediate stops

Constrained-transportation directions are described herein. In one or more implementations, navigation assistance is provided for a user that is traveling on constrained transportation. As part of computing the directions, a determination is initially made that the user is traveling on constrained transportation, which may be restricted to traveling along designated routes and stopping at predetermined stops. Based on this determination, parameters indicative of restrictions to the route the user is traveling onboard the constrained transportation are ascertained, such as parameters describing a 'line' of a current vehicle, a schedule of the vehicle, and a current location of the user along the vehicle's known route. Using these parameters, rather than merely a location of the user when the directions are requested, directions to a desired location are computed. In this way, users can be presented directions that account for being on a constrained-route vehicle at the time a route is requested.

Constrained-transportation directions

Techniques for distributing digital media content to personal electronic devices are discussed. Digital media content is collected from a variety of disparate digital media content sources. Specific digital media content is identified and transcoded into a selected format prior to receipt by a particular personal electronic device. The selected format may be based on preferences or characteristics of the personal electronic device or the user thereof, the network, or both. Virtually unlimited subset selection criteria may be used to arranged transcoded digital media content into subsets, which may be temporarily or permanently stored in a single computer or using distributed computing techniques. DRM and identity management techniques can be used in combination with the transcoding and distribution techniques discussed herein to accommodate many business models.

Aspects of digital media content distribution

A system and method for switching presentation of media between two or more processes without interruption is described. This system and method can enable a user to enjoy media presented in a process and then switch the presentation of that media to another process without interruption in the media. Further, this system and method can enable a user to switch back and forth between media presentation within one application and another application without interruption.

Switching of media presentation

Synchronization is bound to data and optionally a set of synchronization behaviors as opposed to a particular application and/or endpoint. As a result, synchronization amongst endpoints need not require creation of customized synchronization solutions or rely on vendor and/or application specific mechanisms. In one instance, standard data and/or synch schemas can be subscribed to and utilized to dynamically configure synchronization across endpoints.

Data-driven synchronization

Systems and methods for orchestrating synchronizations between different targets in a synchronization community. The order and nature of synchronizations may depend on multiple factors, including the initiator of the synchronization, the data being synchronized, and other characteristics of the synchronization participants and synchronization community.

Synchronization orchestration

Various technologies and techniques are disclosed that improve synchronization of data between varying types of devices and/or services. A full participant receives a request from another participant to perform a synchronization operation. The synchronization engine determines whether the device or service is a full, partial, or simple participant. The device or service is a simple participant if it has a data store for synchronized data and no knowledge store. The device or service is a partial participant if it has a data store for synchronized data and a knowledge store, but does not understand the knowledge. The device or service is a full participant type if it has a data store for synchronized data and a knowledge store and understands the knowledge. The synchronization engine performs the synchronization operation with the device or service using a set of logic that is appropriate for the type of device or service.

Synchronization peer participant model

A system and methods are described for transcoding media content in the background on a source computer device prior to such time as a target media playback device is connected to the source computer for synchronization of the media content. The system and methods anticipate which media content to background-transcode based on user input rules and media status data that are maintained in a transcode database. Pre-transcoding media content provides advantages that include a significant reduction in the time needed to synchronize media content between a source computer and a target media playback device, and an efficient use of CPU power for transcoding media content at times when the CPU might otherwise stand idle.

Growing community of inventors

Newcastle, WA, United States of America

Myron C Thomas