Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Stephen Thomas Wells

Matthew Jay Kotler

Thomas Charles Underhill

Bryan T Starbuck

Scott A Sherman

Ethan Joseph Bernstein

Janet L Schorr

Gail Giacobbe

Alexander Vaschillo

John Heinrich Lueders

Robert C Combs

Ilan Berker

Sridhar Sundararaman

Raghavendra Rachamadugu

Hubert Louis Marie Van Hoof

Scott A Thurlow

David A Raissipour

Robert M Price

Randy Knight Winjum

Aaron Hartwell

Lutz Gerhard

Ronald Eric Gray

Michael I Borysenko

Alexandre Gueniot

Benjamin Franklin Carter

Alon Asher Brown

Brian L Trenbeath

Kendall D Keil

Amit Kumar Sinha

Dawid Kozlowski

Matt Wood

Kavitha Balasubramanian

Andrew Michael Himberger

Systems, methods, and software are described herein to support view-based storage. A service application that provides a user interface to a service receives data communicated by the service and identifies at least a service item to present in at least one of various views rendered in the user interface. The service application then identifies with which of the views to associate the service item and stores the service item in association with an identified view or views.

Storing service items in association with views

A method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium are provided for creating and laying out a graphic within a drawing application program. The method includes receiving a data model defining a set of data and data relationships to be represented in the graphic, receiving a graphic definition describing the mapping of the data from the data model to a set of algorithms, algorithm parameters, constraints, constraint rules, and shape properties, determining a shape size and position for the layout nodes utilizing the set of algorithms, constraints, and constraint rules from the graphic definition, and creating a list of shapes and shape properties for the graphic, including size and position. The method further includes determining if the graphic fits a given layout into a specific area based on the set of constraint values and if the graphic does not fit the specific area, then modifying the set of constraint values using the constraint rules.

Method, system, and computer-readable medium for creating and laying out a graphic within an application program

The principles of the present invention extend to efficiently and reliably providing message related data. Generally, data fields of electronic messages and attachments are created in accordance with an electronic message schema hierarchy. An electronic message can include links to folder items that represent message folders. An electronic message can also include links to contact items that represent message participants. Message applications can register for folder spaces such that each message application is aware of folders that are primarily controlled by other message applications. A link to a contact item can be selected to access current contact related data for a message participant, even when the contact related data has changed since an electronic message containing the link was received.

Efficiently and reliably providing message related data

The present invention extends to methods, systems, computer program products, and data structures for efficiently storing and accessing electronic messages. Generally, electronic messages are created and transformed in accordance with an electronic message schema hierarchy. Electronic messages can be created according to a general message schema that defines a format for data fields that are common to all types of electronic messages (e.g. electronic mail, instant message, fax message). Electronic messages can also be extended according to message extension schemas that define formats for adding protocol specific and/or or application specific data fields to an electronic message. Data fields added in accordance with message extension schemas can differ between electronic messages types. Having some commonly defined fields and other differently defined fields promotes efficient storage and access of electronic messages, while also facilitating message compatibility with existing message protocols and message applications.

Schema hierarchy for electronic messages

A method and computer-readable medium are provided for generating graphics having a finite number of dynamically sized and positioned shapes. According to the method, a relative size and position are defined for each of the shapes in a graphic. The relative size and position of the shapes may be defined relative to a canvas size or relative to other shapes. Once the size and position have been defined, the size and position are translated into size and position values expressed as relative to a canvas size. A mapping is also created between specific locations in a data set and the shapes. The graphic is generated utilizing the mapping and by sizing and positioning the shapes relative to the current canvas size. If a new canvas size is detected, the size and position of the shapes may be recomputed relative to the new canvas size. The graphic may also be utilized within a dynamic graphic.

Method and computer-readable medium for generating graphics having a finite number of dynamically sized and positioned shapes

Techniques are provided for forming one or more animation sequences used in animating a graphic. A semantic model of one or more semantic elements corresponding to content data is received. A presentation model of one or more presentation elements corresponding to objects is received. A set of one or more mappings is determined. The set of one or more mappings includes a mapping of each of said semantic elements to one or more presentation elements. The set of one or more mappings are traversed in an ordering in accordance with a selected animation sequence type specifying a set of objects that animate together. One or more animation sequences are built when performing the traversing step using each of the one or more mappings by applying one or more rules in accordance with a particular classification associated with each of the one or more mappings.

Techniques for automated animation

A method and apparatus are provided for synchronizing records stored at a first computer with records stored at a second computer. If properties of the first record have been modified, a determination is made as to whether all of the modified properties may be ignored. If all of the properties are not ignorable, a determination is made as to whether the values of all non-ignorable properties are identical between the first and second records. If the values are identical, the modifications to the properties of the first record are discarded. If the values are not identical, a determination is made as to whether the modified properties are decidable. If the properties are decidable, a value is selected from either the value stored in the first record or the second record, and utilized as the selected value of the modified property for the first and second records.

Method and apparatus for record synchronization with conflict resolution

The present invention extends to methods, systems, computer program products, and data structures for decoupling an attachment from an electronic message that included the attachment. Generally, data fields of electronic messages and attachments are created in accordance with an electronic message schema hierarchy. Attachments are configured to have a data field indicating if the attachment is to persist when a corresponding electronic message is deleted. When an attachment persists, a user may be able to locate and use the attachment after a corresponding electronic message has been deleted (even if the attachment has not been expressly saved). Attachments are configured to include attachment metadata indicating properties of an electronic message that included the attachment. Accordingly, a user can access information (e.g., sender, subject, date, etc) associated with an electronic message (e.g., that included the attachment) even after the electronic message has been deleted.

Decoupling an attachment from an electronic message that included the attachment

The present invention extends to methods, systems, computer program products, and data structures for presenting different types of electronic messages at a common interface. Electronic message items are stored in an item database along with other types of items, such as, for example, contact items, folder items, document items, etc. Electronic message items have some common defined data fields and possibly other differently defined data fields that represent protocol and/or application specific properties. Computer systems can query the item database for message related data (e.g., from commonly defined data fields) and display links to message related data at a common messaging interface. Links to different types of electronic messages (as represented by protocol and/or application specific properties) may be displayed simultaneously at the common messaging interface.

Accessing different types of electronic messages through a common messaging interface

An electronic mail (e-mail) application program includes a configurable, e-mail messaging feature for automatically responding to a portable computer's transition between online and offline states. The e-mail application program determines the state of a connection between a portable computer and an electronic mail server and processes electronic messages in accordance with the appropriate state. The portable computer's transition between an online state and an offline state triggers a user-configurable response, designed to permit the continuation of electronic mail message processing in a manner that accommodates the state change. The e-mail application program responds to such a transition by automatically switching between online and offline modes of operation. The e-mail application program can also respond to such a transition by establishing a secondary connection to a mail server when a primary connection is rendered inoperative. A user may configure various aspects of the invention to respond to a transition in a way that accommodates the user's hardware and/or software requirements.

Method for continuously processing electronic messages throughout a transition between online and offline states

Method for continouously processing electronic messages throughout a transition between online and offline states

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Stephen Thomas Wells