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Ball, WA

Christopher Ball, Seattle, WA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20120066204PROVIDING LIGHTWEIGHT MULTIDIMENSIONAL ONLINE DATA STORAGE FOR WEB SERVICE USAGE REPORTING - Distributed and local processes analyze usage data and transform it into objects including timestamps and dimensions. Objects include a position vector to represent dimension analysis and additional attributes associated with measurements of different types. The objects are stored in a multidimensional database indexed on the vector and timestamp attributes.03-15-2012

Eric Ball, Spokane, WA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20110198050Casting composite ingot with metal temperature compensation - An exemplary embodiment of the invention provides a method of direct chill casting a composite metal ingot. The method involves sequentially casting two or more metal layers to form a composite ingot by supplying streams of molten metal to two or more casting chambers within a casting mold of a direct chill casting apparatus. Inlet temperatures of one or more of the streams of molten metal are monitored at a position adjacent to an inlet of a casting chamber fed with the stream, and the inlet temperatures are compared with a predetermined set temperature for the stream to determine if there is any difference. A casting variable that affects molten metal temperatures entering or within the casting chambers (e.g. casting speed) is then adjusted by an amount based on the difference of the compared temperatures to eliminate adverse casting effects caused by the difference of the inlet temperature and the set temperature. Preferably an adjustment is selected that causes the monitored temperature to approach the set temperature. Another exemplary embodiment provides equipment for operation of the method.08-18-2011

Rogers Ball, Seattle, WA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20110291581Rejecting noise transients while turning off a fluorescent lamp using a starter unit - A local minimum of a current monitoring signal is identified by a starter unit that turns off a fluorescent lamp without using a wall switch. Closing a main switch in the starter unit stops an illuminating current from flowing through a gas in the lamp. The local minimum of the current monitoring signal is reached when an increasing valid sample is identified following four valid samples. A sample is valid if it does not differ from the preceding valid sample by more than a threshold difference based on known properties of the signal. By skipping invalid samples, the local minimum is accurately determined to have been reached despite transient noise spikes in the signal that would trip any voltage threshold used to locate the local minimum. When the main switch is opened at a predetermined time after the local minimum, the illuminating current does not again flow through the gas.12-01-2011

Steven J. Ball, Seattle, WA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20090300658DEFINING, DISTRIBUTING AND PRESENTING DEVICE EXPERIENCES - Platforms and techniques for defining, authorizing/authenticating, distributing, and presenting dynamic device experiences using a number of hierarchically-related, declarative language data structures, such as extensible markup language (“XML”) elements or attributes. A dynamic device experience is presented when two electronic devices are in communication via a communication medium. The data structures are processed to present a graphical user interface to a user—the graphical user interface implements a dynamic device experience associated with the other electronic device. In one exemplary scenario, independent hardware vendors (“IHVs”) author XML documents that include device experience information (such as branding or advertising information, access to Web services or applications, and access to device functionality), in the form of items of data stored in the data structures. The XML documents are verified against a predetermined schema, secured using a cryptographic technique such as a digital signature, and discovered/distributed in flexible, tamper-resistant manners.12-03-2009

Patent applications by Steven J. Ball, Seattle, WA US

Thomas J. Ball, Mercer Island, WA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20090144698PRIORITIZING QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS TO SOURCE CODE - An exemplary method includes receiving source code having a plurality of code segments, providing a desired level of quality for the source code, analyzing the source code to assign a complexity measure to each of the plurality of code segments and assigning a level of code coverage to each of the plurality of code segments based at least in part on the desired level of quality and the complexity measures. An exemplary system prioritizes quality improvements to source code based, in part, on a quality assessment. Such a system can improve code quality by assigning higher test coverage levels to modules with higher complexity.06-04-2009
20110088016PROGRAM ANALYSIS THROUGH PREDICATE ABSTRACTION AND REFINEMENT - An analysis engine is described for performing static analysis using CEGAR loop functionality, using a combination of forward and backward validation-phase trace analyses. The analysis engine includes a number of features. For example: (1) the analysis engine can operate on blocks of program statements of different adjustable sizes; (2) the analysis engine can identify a subtrace of the trace and perform analysis on that subtrace (rather than the full trace); (3) the analysis engine can form a pyramid of state conditions and extract predicates based on the pyramid and/or from auxiliary source(s); (4) the analysis engine can generate predicates using an increasingly-aggressive series of available discovery techniques; (5) the analysis engine can selectively concretize procedure calls associated with the trace on an as-needed basis and perform other refinements; and (6) the analysis engine can add additional verification targets in the course of its analysis, etc.04-14-2011
20110161937PROCESSING PREDICATES INCLUDING POINTER INFORMATION - A system is described for processing predicates in the course of analyzing a program, based on a general-purpose theory of pointers. The system converts location expressions in the predicates into logical formulae that are interpretable by a theorem prover module, producing converted predicates. This conversion associates the location expressions with location objects. More specifically, the conversion represents variables as explicitly-specified location objects, and location terms (such as a field-type access terms and dereference-type terms) as constructor-specified location objects. The theory of pointers is also expressed by a set of axioms which constrain the operation of the theorem prover module.06-30-2011

Patent applications by Thomas J. Ball, Mercer Island, WA US

Vincent Ball, Kirkland, WA US

Patent application numberDescriptionPublished
20080250429Application-specific mapping of input device elements - A method for carrying out application-specific mapping of input device elements (for example, human input device buttons). The method includes, from an application matching program, determining, for an application program, whether a control element event (for example, a mouse button click event) needs to carry out an action that is specific to the application program, or to perform its default action. The application matching program is configured to execute independently of the application program. A computing system that is capable of carrying out the above method is also provided.10-09-2008
20100259482KEYBOARD GESTURING - Keyboard gesturing on an input device of a computing system is herein provided. One exemplary computing system includes a host computing device and an input device including one or more keys. The host computing device includes a gesture-recognition engine that is configured to recognize a gesture from touch input reported from a touch-detection engine. The touch-detection engine is configured to detect a touch input directed at a key of the input device. The host computing device further includes an input engine that is configured to interpret a key-activation message based on the gesture recognized by the gesture-recognition engine, where the key-activation message is generated by a key-activation engine of the input device in response to activation of the key.10-14-2010
20100265182CONTEXT-BASED STATE CHANGE FOR AN ADAPTIVE INPUT DEVICE - Various embodiments of systems and methods to implement a context-based state change for an adaptive input device are provided. For example, a method is disclosed that may include receiving a state input indicating a change in a system state, changing adaptive input device data in response to the state input, the adaptive input device data including one or more of image data or adaptive input device mapping data, and adjusting an adaptive input device display state using the adaptive input device data. Adjusting the adaptive input device display state may include one or more of displaying the image data on an adaptive input device display or adjusting an adaptive input device mapping state according to the adaptive input device mapping data.10-21-2010
20100265183STATE CHANGES FOR AN ADAPTIVE DEVICE - Various embodiments of systems and method to implement a state change for an adaptive device are provided. In one example, a method is disclosed that includes receiving a system state input indicating a change in a system state of a computing device, changing adaptive device data in response to the system state input to form changed adaptive device data, the adaptive device data and the changed adaptive device data each including one or more of image data and adaptive device mapping data, and adjusting an adaptive device display state using the changed adaptive device data, wherein adjusting the adaptive device display state includes one or more of displaying the image data on the keyboard display and adjusting an adaptive device mapping state according to the adaptive device mapping data.10-21-2010
20100275218CONTROLLING ACCESS OF APPLICATION PROGRAMS TO AN ADAPTIVE INPUT DEVICE - Methods and systems for controlling access of application programs to an adaptive input device are described herein. One exemplary computing system includes an application programming interface executable on a computing device for controlling said access to an adaptive input device having a plurality of display regions. The application programming interface is configured to receive a display request from one of the application programs to display formatted output on the composite display and is further configured to apply at least a display sharing policy based on application-specific policy settings received from the application program for defining an application-specific area including at least one of the display regions. Further, the application programming interface is configured to generate formatted output based on the application-specific policy settings, and to send the formatted output to the application-specific area for display. The application-specific policy settings include a shared display mode and an exclusive display mode.10-28-2010