Robert Scott Fries, 58Grapevine, TX

6425125, Jul 23, 2002

Mar 30, 1999

09/281734

Robert M. Fries - Redmond WA
Brian Wahlert - Homewood IL

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

G06F 944

717168, 717169, 717170

A system for upgrading software has multiple clients coupled to an upgrade server. The clients store an old version of software. The upgrade server stores both the old version of software and a new version of software. The upgrade server creates an upgrade file from the old and new versions of the software such that the upgrade file is smaller than the new version. The upgrade server compares old character strings from the old version with new character strings from the new version to identify matching sections. The upgrade server derives a two-dimensional table containing multiple entries, whereby each entry represents a length of a longest common substring beginning at a first position in the old character string and at a second position in the new character string. The upgrade server then ascertains the longest common substring from the table. The upgrade server inserts headers into the upgrade file to distinguish between matching and non-matching sections.

6637027, Oct 21, 2003

Mar 16, 2000

09/526372

Heidi H. Breslauer - Kirkland WA
Michael K. Fleming - Santa Cruz CA
Robert M. Fries - Redmond WA

WebTV Networks, Inc. - Mountain View CA

H04N 7173

725 25, 725 28, 725 86, 725 87, 725109, 725110, 725 5

A multimedia system is described that is capable of presenting multimedia segments including television broadcasts, radio broadcasts, stored video information, stored audio information, and Web pages. The multimedia system includes a conditional access manager which is a common interface between the multimedia system and a number of conditional access providers even if the conditional access providers follow different interface standards. In order to access a multimedia segment such as a television program, a radio program, or Web page, the multimedia system receives a request to access the multimedia segment. While accessing the multimedia segment, each of the conditional access providers is notified of the request through the conditional access manager. Each conditional access provider then determines whether permission to access the multimedia segment should be denied, or whether the conditional access provider does not know of any reason why permission to access the multimedia segment should be denied. Based on the responses from the conditional access providers, the segment is either displayed or blocked from being displayed.

6892390, May 10, 2005

Mar 16, 2000

09/526579

Bruce L. Lieberman - Bellevue WA, US
Robert M. Fries - Redmond WA, US

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

H04N007/16

725135

The present invention provides for the collection and delivery of broadcast data. Broadcast data is captured by broadcast data sources from television broadcasts and the captured broadcast data is collected by a broadcast data source miniport. The miniport differentiates the broadcast data to separate the requested broadcast data and to separate the broadcast data that complies with a protocol from broadcast data that does not comply with a protocol. The nonrequested broadcast data is preferably discarded and the broadcast data that does not comply with a protocol is encapsulated with appropriate headers. The broadcast data is then transferred through the network or system to a common application interface such as Winsock through NDIS and a protocol such as UDP/IP. Alternatively, a RawData module is used that does not rely on sockets and is capable of communicating with the miniport. A presenter retrieves the broadcast data from either the RawData module or Winsock and prepares the broadcast data for use by an application.

6904609, Jun 7, 2005

Mar 16, 2000

09/527313

Michael E. Pietraszak - Redmond WA, US
Robert M. Fries - Redmond WA, US
Robert S. T. Gibson - Monroe WA, US
Jonathan A. Wray - Redmond WA, US

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

H04N005/455
G06F003/00
G06F013/00

725 39, 725 47, 725 49

EPG services are provided, which enables a device such as a computer, a set top box or the like to collect EPG data from multiple EPG data providers or sources. The EPG data is collected at the device by EPG loaders. Each EPG loader collects EPG data from a particular source. The EPG loaders deliver the EPG data to a writer module, which performs scaling and formatting functions to the EPG data The writer module also stores the scaled and formatted EPG data in a database or other storage. Once stored, applications gain access to the EPG data through a control module. The writer module may also be implemented by chaining EPG loaders in a priority scheme. However, EPG loader interaction reduces independence and forces more rigid interface and implementation constraints upon the design of EPG loaders. The control module provides the accessed EPG data to the applications. EPG services function to isolate the operation of the applications from the EPG data sources.

6973664, Dec 6, 2005

Jan 31, 2001

09/681154

Robert M. Fries - Redmond WA, US

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

H04N007/025
H04N007/10
H04N005/445
G06F003/00
G06F013/00

725 42, 725 32, 725131, 725139, 725151

Television tuning device screen saver advertising is disclosed. The television tuning device that is connectable to the Internet. While the user has his or her device connected to the Internet, advertising information may be cached. When the device enters a screen saver mode, the previously cached information is displayed. The advertising information can be targeted to the user based on demographic and other information, and can be interactive. The advertising information may also cause the device to tune to a particular channel related to the advertising information, such that both are displayed. The advertising information is unrelated to any sponsor of the television tuning device.

6990677, Jan 24, 2006

Mar 16, 2000

09/527137

Michael E. Pietraszak - Redmond WA, US
Robert M. Fries - Redmond WA, US
Robert S. T. Gibson - Monroe WA, US
Jonathan A. Wray - Redmond WA, US

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

H04N 5/445

725 49

EPG services are provided, which enables a device such as a computer, a set top box or the like to collect EPG data from multiple EPG data providers or sources. The EPG data is collected at the device by EPG loaders. Each EPG loader collects EPG data from a particular source. The EPG loaders deliver the EPG data to a writer module, which performs scaling and formatting functions to the EPG data. The writer module also stores the scaled and formatted EPG data in a database or other storage. The writer module may also be implemented by chaining EPG loaders in a priority scheme. However, EPG loader interaction reduces independence and forces more rigid interface and implementation constraints upon the design of EPG loaders. Once stored, applications gain access to the EPG data through a control module. The control module provides the accessed EPG data to the applications.

7036023, Apr 25, 2006

Jan 19, 2001

09/765942

Robert M. Fries - Redmond WA, US
Michael K. Fleming - San Francisco CA, US

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

G06F 15/177
G06F 11/30
G06F 12/14

713200, 713 2, 713193

A computer system that contains a boot signature checker is disclosed. In one example, the boot signature checker monitors the bus connecting the processor with the memory and provides a boot signature that is a function of the signal sequence detected on the bus. If an unauthorized user tampers with the operating system within the memory as when attempting to gain unauthorized access to presentable content such as television programming, the boot signature checker will in all probability produce a different boot signature than expected. The decrypter will respond to this different boot signature by, for example, deactivating thereby potentially preventing an unauthorized user from gaining access to presentable content.

7076794, Jul 11, 2006

Feb 7, 2005

11/053515

Bruce L. Lieberman - Bellevue WA, US
Robert M. Fries - Redmond WA, US

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

H04N 7/16

725140, 719328

The present invention provides for the collection and delivery of broadcast data. Broadcast data is captured by broadcast data sources from television broadcasts and the captured broadcast data is collected by a broadcast data source miniport. The miniport differentiates the broadcast data to separate the requested broadcast data and to separate the broadcast data that complies with a protocol from broadcast data that does not comply with a protocol. The nonrequested broadcast data is preferably discarded and the broadcast data that does not comply with a protocol is encapsulated with appropriate headers. The broadcast data is then transferred through the network or system to a common application interface such as Winsock through NDIS and a protocol such as UDP/IP. Alternatively, a RawData module is used that does not rely on sockets and is capable of communicating with the miniport. A presenter retrieves the broadcast data from either the RawData module or Winsock and prepares the broadcast data for use by an application.