Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Other

Thomas G Phillips

William Jefferson Westerinen

Alexander Frank

Paul C Sutton

Christopher Allen Schoppa

Pasquale DeMaio

Adrian Mark Chandley

Zhangwei Xu

Curt Andrew Steeb

Kartik Nadipuram Raghavan

James Duffus

Martin D Hall

Mark Myers

Carl J Ledbetter

Gang Wang

Aditha May Adams

Steven T Kaneko

Scott Manchester

Dale Clark Crosier

Benjamin E Nick

Bohdan W Raciborski

Taryn K Beck

Ryan W J Waite

Jeffrey Alan Herold

Martin Holladay

Isaac P Ahdout

Mark Curtis Light

Todd L Carpenter

Justin Michael Maguire

Manolito E Adan

Chad Magendanz

Michael W Van Flandern

Zeyong Xu

Joseph N Figueroa

Rajagopal Venkatachalam

Dana Lu Silverstein

William L Poole

Mohamed Belali

George V Reilly

Nicholas Temple

Alexander Bussmann

Martin Harm Hall

Wiliam Jefferson Westerinen

Shawn Amelia Prenzlow

Richard B Thompson

A virtual machine monitor provides a trusted operating environment for a software usage metering application when a qualified virtual machine monitor is loaded as part of trusted boot and when all other programs and operating systems run in containers managed by the virtual machine monitor. The virtual machine monitor may also host a locking application for limiting the functionality of the computer if contractual terms of use are not met. Both the metering and locking applications run at a higher privilege level than ring 0, at the same level as the virtual machine monitor.

Virtual machine support for metered computer usage

A location based service using combinatorial data sources for routing and time information is disclosed. One embodiment comprises using a user location, a first data set from a first data source containing information related to a first waypoint, and a second data set from a second data source containing information related to a second waypoint to determine a tour of the first waypoint and the second waypoint. In this way, the embodiment may send the tour of the first waypoint and the second waypoint to a navigation device.

Location based services with combinatorial data sources

Network based just-in-time compilation based on A Priori knowledge of a set of disparate clients is disclosed. One embodiment comprises using a web service to register a device and store a device profile containing the capabilities of the device, receiving a request from the device to subscribe to a content service, and to create a client runtime for the device for a requested service corresponding to the device capabilities. In this way, the embodiment may send the client runtime to the device to allow the device to communicate with the content service through the web service.

Network based JIT on a priori knowledge of a set of disparate clients

A system and method for purposing a computing device is disclosed. The computing devices in a network are organized into groups referred to as Pods, each Pod of computing devices further comprising an aggregation node. The aggregation node monitors and controls the computing devices in the Pod. The aggregation node is used to copy a system image from the pristine partition of another computer device or from a library of system images to a target partition of the computer to be repurposed. Because the computing devices in the network are organized into Pods, with each Pod having an aggregation node, there is no single point of failure for the entire management and control of the network. The aggregation nodes for each Pod in the network can communicate with one another to most efficiently allocate resources among the various tasks to be performed by the computing resources in the network. Computing devices in the network can be repurposed and/or reassigned to different Pods based on the various criteria.

Method and system for dynamically purposing a computing device

A hardware-based security module is used to protect an electronic device, especially a portable electronic device. The security module may determine either via timeout of a watchdog timer or via an explicit message to encrypt selected data on the electronic device. In addition, the electronic device may enter a limited function mode that only allows display of simplistic messages and supports network traffic with a recovery service. The recovery service may be able to use the network traffic to locate the electronic device. The security module may include a secure memory, a cryptographic function, a timer, and support for direct display of data on a monitor.

Hardware-based computer theft deterrence

A computer is adapted for pay-for-use operation by adding a isolated computing environment to a standard computer. The isolated computing environment may include a trusted non-volatile memory, a digital signature verification capability, a clock or timer and a logic circuit for triggering execution of a validation program responsive to the clock or timer. The isolated computing environment may be protected from tampering by physical or cryptographic mechanisms, or both. The validation program measures or monitors for non-compliant states of the computer and may enforce sanctions when non-compliant states of the computer are detected.

Isolated computing environment anchored into CPU and motherboard

A method and system for managing stored data on a computer network organizes data into logical volumes, and each logical volume has a friendly name associated with it. A domain controller keeps track of the friendly names of the logical volumes and associates those friendly names with the actual physical paths of the logical volumes. When a client computer on the network wishes to access a logical volume, it sends a look-up request having the friendly name to the domain controller. The domain controller may fulfill the request by sending the path of the logical volume to the client computer.

Managing stored data on a computer network

An electronic device, such as, a computer, may be adapted for self-monitoring for compliance to an operating policy. The operating policy may specify a pay-per-use or subscription business model and measurements associated with compliant usage. A secure execution environment may measure usage in accordance with the business model as well as monitor and enforce compliance to the operating policy. To increase the difficulty of attacking or otherwise disabling the secure execution environment, elements of the secure execution environment may be distributed. The distribution points may include other functional elements of the computer, such as interface circuits, or may even be remotely located over a network. An implementation method for disaggregating the secure execution environment is also disclosed.

Disaggregated secure execution environment

A system and method for monitoring a computer, particularly a pay-per-use computer, uses an isolated computing environment or supervisor. The isolated computing environment boots prior to any boot device associated with an operating system, runs concurrently with the operating system and monitors and measures the computer in operation. Once the isolated computing environment determines the computer is not in compliance with the required policies, the isolated computing environment may either impose an impediment to use such as slowing clock speed or completely disable the operating system. The user may have to return the computer to a service provider to restore it from the offending condition and reset the computer to an operational state.

Special PC mode entered upon detection of undesired state

A pay-per-use or pay-as-you-go computer uses a secure memory to store individual unique program identifiers. Each unique program identifier is associated with a particular hardware or software component, or service, or the entire computer available to a user. By combining the unique program identifier with a computer hardware identifier uniquely identified transactions may be tracked for both billing and reconciliation. Certificates associated with each unique program identifier, and coupled to the hardware identifier, provide a cryptographic basis for mutual verification of messages, requests, configuration instructions, and provisioning.

Binding a device to a provider

An improved system and method for using a file system to automatically backup a file in persistent storage is provided. A storage aggregator may organize nonvolatile memory for use in aggregate to store backup copies of a file. A file system filter driver may receive a request from an application for storing a file and may access a policy to determining whether to create a backup copy of the file and what type of backup to apply to the file. A generational file handler may create and manage a set of generational files as backup copies of a particular application file. And a recovery user interface may be provided to retrieve one or more backup copies, such as the set of generational files, for inspection by a user to recover whatever copy of the file may be desired by the user.

System and method for using a file system to automatically backup a file as a generational file

A network security system for protecting computing devices connected to a communication network from identified security threats is presented. A security service published security information intended for network security modules in the communication network. A network security module is interposed, either logically or physically, between a computer and the communication network. The security information comprises security measures which, when implemented by a network security module, protect the corresponding computer from an identified security threat to the computer.

System and method for securing a computer system connected to a network from attacks

A method and system for configuring a new device are disclosed. The method includes using a host system to create a configuration file including data useable to configure the new device. A portable storage device is interfaced to the host and the configuration file is transferred to the storage device. The storage device is then interfaced to the new device and the configuration file is transferred to the new device. The configuration file is optionally used to configure the new device for communication over a network. A method for configuring the new device using a direct connection between the new device and a system bus of the host is also disclosed.

Configurable multi-connector storage device

A network security module for protecting computing devices connected to a communication network from security threats is presented. The network security module is interposed, either logically or physically, between the protected computer and the communication network. The network security module receives security information from a security service. The security information comprises security measures which, when enforced by the network security module, protect the computer from a security threat to the computer. The network security module implements the security measures by controlling the network activities between the protected computer and the network. The network security module also temporarily implements security patches until corresponding patches are installed onto the protected computer.

Network security device and method for protecting a computing device in a networked environment

A network security module for protecting computing devices connected to a communication network from identified security threats communicated in a secured communication is presented. The network security module is interposed, either logically or physically, between the protected computer and the communication network. Upon detecting a secured communication, the network security module obtains a decryption key from the computing device to decrypt the secured communication. The network security module then processes the decrypted communication according to whether the decrypted communication violates protective security measures implemented by the network security module.

System and method for protecting a computing device from computer exploits delivered over a networked environment in a secured communication

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Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Thomas G Phillips