Steven A Ball

US Patent:

7227074, Jun 5, 2007

Filed:

Sep 24, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/949495

Inventors:

Steven J. Ball - Seattle WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G10H 7/00
G04B 13/00
A63H 5/00

US Classification:

84609, 84610, 84615, 84634, 84649, 84650, 84653

Abstract:

A transport control, e. g. , for use with an audio content playing device, the transport control for initiating play of dynamically rendered audio content selections that are rarely, if ever, played the same way twice is provided. The transport control includes a play indicator, e. g. , a play button or the like, and a control indicator, for instance, a rotatable knob. The control indicator is linearly mapped to an interactive music engine having a plurality of component engines, each of which is controlled by the control indicator. Accordingly, the control indicator is referred to herein as a “multi-purpose” indicator. Upon altering this single multi-purpose control indicator, multiple components and music elements of the output can be affected. Thus, a transport control that permits a user to initiate play of dynamically rendered music selections with little input and/or decision-making is also provided.

US Patent:

7421449, Sep 2, 2008

Filed:

Jan 12, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/033684

Inventors:

Shane F. Williams - Seattle WA, US
Steven J. Ball - Seattle WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 7/00

US Classification:

707102, 707 3

Abstract:

The subject invention provides a unique system and method that facilitates management and navigation of various data objects by making use of a unique time-line based navigation tool. In particular, objects can organized into a plurality of bands based on their respective subject matter. Each band can be created to designate a particular topic. Objects are organized within the appropriate bands based in part on a time parameter such as a time or date that the object was created, for example. The navigation tool allows a user to navigate or browse through the bands and objects according to a desired time parameter or range of time. Zooming and other browsing options are available to the user to view objects of interest at varying levels of detail. The objects are represented as ASCII thumbnails that are operational. Thus, the content of any object can be modified directly via the thumbnail.

US Patent:

7479970, Jan 20, 2009

Filed:

May 26, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/137943

Inventors:

Curtis Christman - Redmond WA, US
Kaivalya Laxmikant Hanswadkar - Sammamish WA, US
Shane F. Williams - Seattle WA, US
Steven J. Ball - Seattle WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G09G 5/00
G06F 3/00
G06F 3/048

US Classification:

345660, 345661, 345665, 715733, 715744, 715763

Abstract:

The subject invention relates to a system and/or methodology that facilitate navigation and monitoring of one or more processes. Within each process, one or more activities or events can be monitored. In particular, navigation through a process can be improved by employing a parameter-based magnification tool. The invention provides for a magnification component that can navigate through aggregations of activities as they relate to one or more processes according to a parameter or metric unit. As a result, a user can view a business process or scheme, for instance, from multiple perspectives at the same time or individually to observe its state or status, trends or patterns, locate problems areas, inefficiencies, or efficiencies within the process, and/or optimize the process or a sub-part thereof.

US Patent:

7541535, Jun 2, 2009

Filed:

Apr 25, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/740139

Inventors:

Steven J. Ball - Seattle WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G04B 13/00

US Classification:

84609, 84615, 84625

Abstract:

A transport control, e. g. , for use with an audio content playing device, the transport control for initiating play of dynamically rendered audio content selections that are rarely, if ever, played the same way twice is provided. The transport control includes a play indicator, e. g. , a play button or the like, and a control indicator, for instance, a rotatable knob. The control indicator is linearly mapped to an interactive music engine having a plurality of component engines, each of which is controlled by the control indicator. Accordingly, the control indicator is referred to herein as a “multi-purpose” indicator. Upon altering this single multi-purpose control indicator, multiple components and music elements of the output can be affected. Thus, a transport control that permits a user to initiate play of dynamically rendered music selections with little input and/or decision-making is also provided.

US Patent:

7716194, May 11, 2010

Filed:

Jan 12, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/034402

Inventors:

Shane F. Williams - Seattle WA, US
Steven J. Ball - Seattle WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 7/00
G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707705, 707915, 715721

Abstract:

The subject invention provides a unique system and method that facilitates management and navigation of various data objects by making use of a unique time-line based navigation tool. In particular, objects can organized into a plurality of bands based on their respective subject matter. Each band can be created to designate a particular topic. Objects are organized within the appropriate bands based in part on a time parameter such as a time or date that the object was created, for example. The navigation tool allows a user to navigate or browse through the bands and objects according to a desired time parameter or range of time. Zooming and other browsing options are available to the user to view objects of interest at varying levels of detail. The objects are represented as ASCII thumbnails that are operational. Thus, the content of any object can be modified directly via the thumbnail.

US Patent:

7788592, Aug 31, 2010

Filed:

Jan 12, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/034432

Inventors:

Shane F. Williams - Seattle WA, US
Steven J. Ball - Seattle WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 3/048

US Classification:

715764, 715720, 715763, 715968, 707705, 707722, 707725, 707731

Abstract:

The subject invention provides a unique system and method that facilitates management and navigation of various data objects by making use of a unique time-line based navigation tool. In particular, objects can organized into a plurality of bands based on their respective subject matter. Each band can be created to designate a particular topic. Objects are organized within the appropriate bands based in part on a time parameter such as a time or date that the object was created, for example. The navigation tool allows a user to navigate or browse through the bands and objects according to a desired time parameter or range of time. Zooming and other browsing options are available to the user to view objects of interest at varying levels of detail. The objects are represented as ASCII thumbnails that are operational. Thus, the content of any object can be modified directly via the thumbnail.

US Patent:

7831054, Nov 9, 2010

Filed:

Jun 28, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/170286

Inventors:

Steven J. Ball - Seattle WA, US
Annette M. Crowley - Bellevue WA, US
Frank D. Yerrace - Woodinville WA, US
Mitchell K. Rundle - Bellevue WA, US
Patrick M. Baudisch - Seattle WA, US
Elliot Omiya - Kirkland WA, US
Stephen Smith - Woodinville WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

H03G 3/00

US Classification:

381104, 381107, 381109, 381 61

Abstract:

A volume control may be provided with some integrated graphical indication of the presence and/or level of an audio signal that it controls. For example, a slider-type volume control may be provided with a signal meter within the slider itself. A volume control may be provided with a mechanism for showing the non-mute volume control level of a volume when the volume control is muted. For example, a slider-type volume control may display a ghosted slider tab at the level of volume control in effect before muting while at the same time displaying a regular slider tab at a muted level. A user may be able to glance at a volume control and quickly and intuitively understand aspects of the volume control's state such as the level and condition of the signal that is flowing through or blocked by (if muted) the control.

US Patent:

8031891, Oct 4, 2011

Filed:

Jun 30, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/170844

Inventors:

Steven J. Ball - Seattle WA, US
Stephen C. Rowe - Bellevue WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

H04R 5/02

US Classification:

381303

Abstract:

Media may be dynamically rendered by receiving signals from one or more types of sensors sensing in an area, and obtaining from the signals information about one or more locations of furniture, or one or more locations of persons or heads or ears thereof, or identities of one or more persons in common with other data such as time of day, season, or other external metadata. Audio and/or video data may be rendered based on the locations or identities. The identity of a person can be automatically obtained and used to automatically select a rendering profile which is then used to render digital audio and/or video media. A dynamically changing spatial location of a head and/or or ears may be automatically determined and how an audio stream is rendered may be dynamically changed based on the spatial location.