Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Microsoft Corporation

Winnie C Wu

Lijiang Fang

Mark H Lucovsky

Shaun Douglas Pierce

Paul Andrew Steckler

Eric J Horvitz

Michael B Taylor

Paul J Leach

Richard Bruce Ward

Burra Gopal

Peter Sewall Ford

Jay Christopher Jacobs

Samuel John George

Steven D White

Jagadeesh Kalki

William Raymond Hoffman

Ramu Movva

Walter C Hsueh

Suresh Kannan

David Benjamin Auerbach

Kendall D Keil

Yun-Qi Yuan

Yi-Wen Guu

Philip Michael Smoot

George M Moore

David Michael Sauntry

Jian H Li

Michael Eric Deem

Rhae-Christie Shaw

John M Gehlsen

Edward G Sheppard

Shaun D Pierce

Paul A Steckler

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to a storage platform comprising: a data store in which data stored therein is defined in terms of items, elements, and relationships, wherein an item is a unit of data storable in the data store and comprises one or more elements, an element is an instance of a type comprising one or more fields, and a relationship is a link between at least two items; a set of schemas that define different types of items, elements, and relationships; and an application programming interface comprising a class for each of the different items, elements, and relationships defined in the set of schemas. Data may also be stored in the data store in the form of an extension to an existing item type, and wherein the application programming interface comprises a class for each different item extension.

Systems and methods for interfacing application programs with an item-based storage platform

A schema-based service for Internet access to per-user services data, wherein access to data is based on each user's identity. The service includes a schema that defines rules and a structure for each user's data, and also includes methods that provide access to the data in a defined way. The services schema thus corresponds to a logical document containing the data for each user. The user manipulates (e.g., reads or writes) data in the logical document by data access requests through defined methods. In one implementation, the services schemas are arranged as XML documents, and the services provide methods that control access to the data based on the requesting user's identification, defined role and scope for that role. In this way, data can be accessed by its owner, and shared to an extent determined by the owner.

Schema-based services for identity-based data access

Described is a schema-based notification platform that provides regularized notification handling including user control and normalization of the operation of policies across different information types and contexts. Information-service schemas and services are combined to build a content-sensitive and context-sensitive information service to communicate information to recipient devices of users that subscribe to those services. An information agent service collects the information, and based on various criteria, determines if, when, and how to send and render the information, and to which subscribing client device or devices. The set of schemas include a notification schema that represents the subscription of a service to an information source and details about that information, and a device schema that represents information about user devices. The information agent service accesses criteria including user preferences and user contextual information, including presence information, location information, and schedule information along with people and groups data and extended-context data. Preferences about subscriptions and information handling policies may be stored and used at notification sources or in more central preference encodings. Access to multiple preferences is maintained, and a user interface is provided that allows users to inspect and control multiple subscriptions in one conceptual place.

Schemas for a notification platform and related information services

Described is a schema-based notification platform that provides regularized notification handling including user control and normalization of the operation of policies across different information types and contexts. Information-service schemas and services are combined to build a content-sensitive and context-sensitive information service to communicate information to recipient devices of users that subscribe to those services. An information agent service collects the information, and based on various criteria, determines if, when, and how to send and render the information, and to which subscribing client device or devices. The set of schemas include a notification schema that represents the subscription of a service to an information source and details about that information, and a device schema that represents information about user devices. The information agent service accesses criteria including user preferences and user contextual information, including presence information, location information, and schedule information along with people and groups data and extended-context data.

A schema-based device service that provides centralized access to per-user device data, wherein access to the device data is based on each user's identity. The device service includes a schema that defines rules and a structure for each user's data, and also includes methods that provide access to the data in a defined way. The device schema thus corresponds to a logical document containing the data for each user. A service such as a notification/alerts service accesses data in the logical document by data access requests through defined methods, such as in order to customize or modify a notification for a device based on the device characteristics. In one implementation, the device schemas are arranged as XML documents, and the services provide methods that control access to the data based on the requesting user's identification, defined role and scope for that role.

Schema-based services for identity-based access to device data

Growing community of inventors

Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Winnie C Wu