Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Timothy Regan

Richard Malcolm Banks

Stuart Taylor

Bozidar Radunovic

Christos Gkantsidis

Dinan Srilal Gunawardena

Abigail Jane Sellen

Peter Bernard Key

Richard Harper

Thomas Karagiannis

Eno Thereska

Philip Charles Gosset

Ilias Raftopoulos

Dharmaiah Manjunath

Mobile device localization using audio signals is described. In an example, a mobile device is localized by receiving a first audio signal captured by a microphone located at the mobile device and a second audio signal captured from a further microphone. A correlation value between the first audio signal and second audio signal is computed, and this is used to determine whether the mobile device is in proximity to the further microphone. In one example, the mobile device can receive the audio signals from the further microphone and calculate the correlation value. In another example, a server can receive the audio signals from the mobile device and the further microphone and calculate the correlation value. In examples, the further microphone can be a fixed microphone at a predetermined location, or the further microphone can be a microphone located in another mobile device.

Mobile device localization using audio signals

A resource allocation framework for wireless/wired networks is described. In an embodiment, methods of end host based traffic management are described which operate separately from the underlying access control protocol within the network (e.g. wireless MAC protocol or TCP). The rate limits for each flow are set based on per-flow weights, which may be user specified, and based on an estimate of the utilization of the shared resource and the rate limits are adjusted periodically so that the resource is not underutilized or saturated. Some embodiments compute a virtual capacity of the resource which is adjusted to optimize the value of the utilization and then the virtual capacity is shared between flows according to the per-flow weights. Methods for estimating the utilization of a wireless network and the capacity of a broadband access link are also described.

Resource allocation framework for wireless/wired networks

An instant messaging system provides instant message communication between computers, including multi-user computers. The system provides multiple concurrent instant message user logins on a multi-user computer, one of the multiple concurrent instant message user logins being a registered buddy of a user of a second computer. The second computer is provided an indication that the registered buddy is one of multiple concurrent instant message user logins on a multi-user computer. The user of the second computer can send a message appropriate to be viewed on the multi-user computer. A video display may be rendered concurrently with the multiple concurrent instant message user logins. Instant messages are rendered over a portion of the video display. As a result, the instant messaging can operate smoothly with multi-user computers, protecting the privacy of instant messaging while minimizing the disruptiveness of instant messaging to accommodate shared use of a multi-user computer.

Instant messaging for multi-user computers

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Cambridge, United Kingdom

Timothy Regan