Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Tipbit Inc.

Nathaniel Harper Ballou

Chris J Guzak

David George De Vorchik

Patrice Lynn Miner

Jason Fergus Moore

David Joel Sheldon

Richard M Banks

Shaun A Kaasten

Sasanka Chalivendra

John Carlton Platt

Balan Sethu Raman

Timothy P McKee

Christopher Andrew Evans

Mohammed Samji

Alexander Vaschillo

Paul Stephen Hellyar

Scott E Dart

Steve Glenner

Bradley Phillip Gibson

Ram Ramasubramanian

Gordon John Mangione

Ewan Ellis Mellor

Judson Craig Hally

Richard Malcolm Banks

Tyler Kien Beam

James Brian Kurtz

Davd G De Vorchik

Embodiments are directed towards employing an index of relevant items to determine and provide items that are relevant to a query. A data store that includes a plurality of items may be generated for each user. The user data store may be employed to generate an index of relevant items for each user. Relevant items may be pre-ranked in the index based on a degree of relevancy to a corresponding item. The index of relevant items may be employed to determine ranked relevant items associated with at least one item associated with a query. In response to the query, the relevant items may be further ranked or re-ranked based on at least a current time of the query and a time decay function associated the relevant items. A subset of the determined ranked relevant items may be provided to a client device for display to the user.

Inferring relevance based on user interactions with email

Embodiments are directed towards generating user isolated indexes for determining the content and relevance of relationships. User indexes may be generated that correspond to individual users of a larger population of users. Client applications may be accessed to determine items corresponding to the users. Information corresponding to the determined items may be listed in a user index corresponding to each user. Also, other information associated with the users may be stored in a data store separate from the user indexes. A context associated with one or more determined item may be determined based on an analysis of content included in the determined items, or other information. User indexes may be updated based on the determined contexts. Updating the user indexes may include updating the user index of the user associated with the determined items and updating other user indexes.

User isolated indexes for determining the context and relevance of relationships

In an Item-based system, Images (e.g., JPEG, TIFF, bitmap, and so on) are treated as core platform objects ('Image Items' or, more simply, 'Images') and exist in an &#x201c;Image Schema&#x201d; that provides an extensible representation of an Image in the system&#x2014;that is, the characteristics of an Image and how that Image relates to other Items (including but not limited to other Images) in the system. To this end, the Image Schema defines the properties, behaviors, and relationships for Images in the system, and the Schema also enforces rules about Images, for example, what data specific Images must contain, what data specific Images may optionally contain, how specific Images can be extended, and so on and so forth.

Systems and methods for the implementation of a digital images schema for organizing units of information manageable by a hardware/software interface system

A system and method for virtual folder sharing, including utilization of static and dynamic lists. Static and dynamic lists may be created as types of virtual folders. Virtual folders expose regular files and folders to users in different views based on their metadata instead of the actual physical underlying file system structure on the disk. A static list consists of a folder of items that are in a specific order, while a dynamic list gathers a set of items based on a scope and a set of criteria. When a list is shared, the actual list is left in place on the sharer's machine or server, while permission is granted to the sharee to remotely access the list and the referenced items. If the list is changed by adding or removing items, these items are also automatically re-permissioned to allow or disallow the sharee to have access to the items.

System and method for virtual folder sharing including utilization of static and dynamic lists

A system and method utilizing virtual folders. The virtual folders expose regular files and folders to users in different views based on their metadata instead of the actual physical underlying file system structure on the disk. The virtual folders contain collections of items. The system includes a folder processor that obtains queries from a user and a relational database for storing information about the items. The folder processor first obtains a query from a user and passes the query to the relational database. The relational database provides results back to the folder processor, and based on the results from the relational database, the folder processor provides the results to the user as virtual folders. Users are able to work with the virtual folders through direct manipulation (e.g., clicking and dragging, copying, pasting, etc.).

System and method utilizing virtual folders

A system and method for presenting images and related items to a user. A digital image from a data store is assessed, and a portion of the image is defined as a region of interest. Properties are associated with this defined region, and these properties are utilized to infer relationships between the region of interest and related items in the data store. Optionally, a user input indicating a desire to view related content may be received and such content may be presented to the user.

System and method for storing and presenting images and related items to a user

A system and method for filtering and organizing items from computer memories based on common elements. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, filters are provided for manipulating the items. The filters are essentially tools for narrowing down a set of items. In one embodiment, the filters are dynamically generated based on the properties of the separate items. The system utilizes virtual folders. The virtual folders expose regular files and folders to users in different views based on their metadata instead of the actual physical underlying file system structure on the disk. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, quick links are provided. In one embodiment, quick links are a set of predefined links (e.g., located on the left side of the display) that can be clicked on to generate useful views of the sets of items. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, libraries are provided. Libraries consist of large groups of usable types of items that can be associated together.

System and method for filtering and organizing items based on common elements

A file system for displaying items of different types and from different physical locations. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a wide scope of items may be available. In other words, the system is able to represent items from multiple physical locations (e.g., different hard drives, different computers, different network locations, etc.) so that to a user all the items appear to be from one location. The file system utilizes virtual folders. The virtual folders expose regular files and folders to users in different views based on their metadata instead of the actual physical underlying file system structure on the disk. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, non-file items may be represented in the virtual folders. In other words, files that are stored in memory are located in a physical store. The virtual folders can be made to include items that are not currently represented in the physical store. Examples of non-file items are e-mails and contacts.

File system for displaying items of different types and from different physical locations

A file system shell is provided. One aspect of the shell provides virtual folders which expose regular files and folders to users in different views based on their metadata instead of the actual physical underlying file system structure on the disk. Users are able to work with the virtual folders through direct manipulation (e.g., clicking and dragging, copying, pasting, etc.). Filters are provided for narrowing down sets of items. Quick links are provided which can be clicked on to generate useful views of the sets of items. Libraries are provided which consist of large groups of usable types of items that can be associated together, along with functions and tools related to the items. A virtual address bar is provided which comprises a plurality of segments, each segment corresponding to a filter for selecting content. A shell browser is provided with which users can readily identify an item based on the metadata associated with that item. An object previewer in a shell browser is provided which is configured to display a plurality of items representing multiple item types.

File system shell

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Kirkland, WA, United States of America

Nathaniel Harper Ballou