Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Steven Andrew Cover

Garrett R Vargas

Daniel Gwozdz

Chad M Whitney

Jonathan Edgar Fay

Kevin Timothy Shields

John Bradstreet

Paul K Kromann

Edward W Connell

John Bronskill

Ajai Sehgal

Tanuja Joshi

Alvy Ray Smith

Nicholas John Clay

Chee Heng Chew

Bryan T Starbuck

David Edward Stewart

Momin Mahmoud Al-Ghosien

Yu Shrike Zhang

William Scott Stauber

Susan Elizabeth Pappalardo

Gregory Marshall Burgess

Robert C Elmer

Tadd H Giles

Dorothy Al-Ghosien

Described is a system and method in which the account settings for managing (e.g., sending and receiving) data are maintained in association with the managed data, such that the account settings and data remain unified yet are independent of any computing device. In one electronic mail application implementation, the mail message data and the account settings are maintained in a common store of a same storage volume that is independent of the device, such as on a removable memory card. When a user connects the volume such as by inserting the card, the device automatically reads the email account settings, which are then used to properly receive or send any corresponding messages. Because the account settings are maintained in the same store with any related content (e.g., message) data, the settings and related data thus travel with the user/card when moved to another device.

Storing account information with related data in a common store

Described is a method and system for downloading information to a mobile device. The system and method provide a mechanism for selectively identifying the type of information that can be downloaded to the mobile device. In one embodiment, the mechanism includes a user interface resident on the mobile device that allows user selection of the type of information. Alternatively, the mechanism includes a profile maintained on a server. The profile identifies the type of information, such as a file extension, that a particular mobile device supports. In addition, the type of information may be based on a file size associated with the information. Once the type of information is identified, the server downloads the identified type of information to the mobile device without downloading undesired types of information. Thus, the synchronization session is efficiently managed so that undesired information is not downloaded to the mobile device.

System and method for downloading information to a mobile device

Described is a system and method for filtering messages received by a message-handling program, that leverage the existing message-handling architecture of computer devices to trigger events and perform other actions instead of (or in addition to) displaying the messages to users. One or more rule clients, e.g., COM objects, register for processing messages. When an appropriate message is received, the message-handling mechanism passes the message to a rule client. Depending on how that rule client responds, the message-handling mechanism determines what to do with the message, e.g., discontinue the message. Messages that are not discontinued are passed to another rule client, if any, or displayed in the user interface, if not. Rule clients may be read only, or may have write access, to modify messages. Messages may be hidden from a user by a rule client, modified before being display to a user, or left intact.

Rules interface for implementing message rules on a mobile computing device

A cross-process layer is generally directed to exposing instant messenger (IM) presence information on a mobile device. An application program interface (API) is provided that allows clients to retrieve IM presence information for display regardless of the IM service provider providing the IM presence information. The IM service providers therefore interoperate with any application on the mobile device and enables any application to show presence for any IM contact.

System and method for exposing instant messenger presence information on a mobile device

A requesting computer system accesses an identifier, which is representative of services (e.g. electronic mail or news groups provided over a network) that will be consumed by consumer modules included in a consuming computer system. The identifier may be received at a configuration computer system that contains configuration information associated with the consumer modules. Receiving the identifier causes a search of the configuration information contained in the configuration computer system. As a result of the search, the configuration computer system may identify configuration information associated with the network services that will be consumed. A configuration computer system may identify configuration information associated with itself or other external services providers. The configuration computer system causes the identified configuration information to be sent to the consuming computer system. The modules that consume the services may automate entry of configuration information to reduce the manual entry of the configuration information.

Increasing the level of automation when configuring network services

An image processing application employs the concept of integral pre-multiplied alpha channel, and combines the techniques of multi-resolution representation, graph-structured representation, and automatic and intelligent data type conversion in order to permit a computer user to mix and manipulate both raster and vector based images in a single user interface while remaining unaware of the different data types underlying the images.

Mixed but indistinguishable raster and vector image data types

An editing program establishes communication with a remote computer using an Internet protocol, downloads a web page containing one or more imported images and displays the web page on a user interface. As the user moves a cursor over an imported image, its appearance may change. The user may select an imported image to edit directly from the displayed web page. In response to the user selecting an image, the editing program presents the image in an editing interface for modification by the user. The image may then be saved back to its original location according to write access permissions.

Method and system for modifying an image on a web page

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Redmond, WA, United States of America

Steven Andrew Cover