Howard Evan Phillips

US Patent:

7730403, Jun 1, 2010

Filed:

Mar 27, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/390017

Inventors:

Margaret K. Johnson - Kirkland WA, US
Heinz W. Schuller - Bellevue WA, US
Howard W. Phillips - Woodinville WA, US
Michel Pahud - Kirkland WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 3/00

US Classification:

715705, 345473

Abstract:

Various technologies and techniques are disclosed that improve the instructional nature of fonts and/or the ability to create instructional fonts. Font characters are modified based on user interaction to enhance the user's understanding and/or fluency of the word. The font characters can have sound, motion and altered appearance. When altering the appearance of the characters, the system operates on a set of control points associated with characters, changes the position of the characters, and changes the influence of the portion of characters on a set of respective spline curves. A designer or other user can customize the fonts and user experience by creating an episode package that specifies words to include in the user interface, and details about actions to take when certain events fire. The episode package can include media effects to play when a particular event associated with the media effect occurs.

US Patent:

8095366, Jan 10, 2012

Filed:

Mar 27, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/390513

Inventors:

Margaret K. Johnson - Kirkland WA, US
Heinz W. Schuller - Bellevue WA, US
Howard W. Phillips - Woodinville WA, US
Michel Pahud - Kirkland WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G10L 11/00
G10L 13/08
G06F 3/00
G06T 11/00

US Classification:

704270, 704260, 715705, 345471

Abstract:

Various technologies and techniques are disclosed that improve the instructional nature of fonts and/or the ability to create instructional fonts. Font characters are modified based on user interaction to enhance the user's understanding and/or fluency of the word. The font characters can have sound, motion, and altered appearance. When altering the appearance of the characters, the system operates on a set of control points associated with characters, changes the position of the characters, and changes the influence of the portion of characters on a set of respective spline curves. A designer or other user can customize the fonts and user experience by creating an episode package that specifies words to include in the user interface, and details about actions to take when certain events fire. The episode package can include media effects to play when a particular event associated with the media effect occurs.

US Patent:

20070220018, Sep 20, 2007

Filed:

Mar 15, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/376662

Inventors:

Howard Phillips - Woodinville WA, US
Michel Pahud - Kirkland WA, US
Margaret Johnson - Kirkland WA, US
Heinz Schuller - Bellevue WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 7/00

US Classification:

707100000

Abstract:

A generator sequence is defined and used for providing an enhanced user experience and increased user control. A generator sequence is established as a series of user inputs that trigger an output. User inputs to the generator system managing the generator sequence are employed to define a user performance value for a specific point, or position, in the generator sequence. The user performance value is then used to establish a new user point, or position, in the generator sequence. The user inputs and/or the new user generator sequence point are used to identify one or more feedback effects files and/or functions and one or more benefit effects files and/or functions for producing user output. A user can utilize the feedback effects and/or benefit effects to alter their inputs to control the generator sequence.

US Patent:

20080055316, Mar 6, 2008

Filed:

Aug 30, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/512652

Inventors:

Michel Pahud - Kirkland WA, US
Howard W. Phillips - Woodinville WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redwood WA

International Classification:

G06T 13/00

US Classification:

345473

Abstract:

Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for programmatically representing sentence meaning. Metadata is retrieved for an actor, the actor representing a noun to be in a scene. At least one image is also retrieved for the actor and displayed on the background. An action representing a verb for the actor to perform is retrieved. The at least one image of the actor is displayed with a modified behavior that is associated with the action and modified based on the actor metadata. If there is a patient representing another noun in the scene, then patient metadata and at least one patient image are retrieved. The at least one patient image is then displayed. When the patient is present, the modified behavior of the actor can be performed against the patient. The nouns and/or verbs can be customized by a content author.