# Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC — Patents explained on PatentBrief

Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC has 12 landmark patents explained in plain English on PatentBrief.

- [How to Safely Shut Down Microservices Without Breaking Apps](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12217035/vision-pro-spatial-photos-videos) — granted 2025
  A method for shutting down parts of a software system one by one by mapping active requests to specific services, ensuring no tasks are interrupted during updates.
- [How AI Systems Learn to Predict and Act Simultaneously](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11170293/alphago-policy-and-value-networks) — granted 2021
  A method for training AI models that combines supervised learning for prediction with reinforcement learning for decision-making in a single, coordinated system.
- [How AI Learns New Tasks Using Old Data Labels](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11062228/gpt-3-few-shot-learning) — granted 2021
  A method for helping AI models understand new topics by grouping similar labels from different datasets into a shared, broader category.
- [How Game Controllers Change Button Functions Using Plug-in Accessories](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10543427/joy-con-motion-controls) — granted 2020
  A system for game controllers that automatically changes what a button does when you physically attach a hardware accessory to the controller.
- [How Operating Systems Display Cloud File Status Icons](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10402375/microsoft-365-subscription) — granted 2019
  A system for Windows or other operating systems to show synchronization status icons for files stored in various cloud services like OneDrive, Dropbox, or Google Drive.
- [How Microsoft Word Suggests Research Content While You Write](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10210146/fluent-design-system) — granted 2019
  A system that automatically fetches and suggests relevant research data and outlines directly inside word processors or note-taking apps based on what you are currently writing.
- [How Devices Negotiate Power Sharing When Connected Together](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9874914/hololens-mixed-reality-display) — granted 2018
  A system for host devices like laptops to automatically set and update power-sharing rules with connected accessories based on identity and real-time power needs.
- [How Software Developers Keep Track of API Versions Automatically](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9830146/visual-studio-code) — granted 2017
  A system that automatically tags software building blocks with version data to prevent developers from accidentally breaking code when updating operating systems.
- [How Microsoft Organizes Data in Multi-Tier Storage Systems](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9824092/file-storage-system-including-tiers) — granted 2017
  A method for organizing computer data into three specific tiers—log, hash, and journal stores—to make writing and reading data faster and more efficient.
- [How Microsoft Protects Corporate Data on Employee Devices](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9430664/windows-defender-antivirus) — granted 2016
  A system that lets companies remotely lock or delete specific work data on a phone or computer without wiping the user's personal files.
- [How Voice Commands Help Computers Find Objects in Pictures and Videos](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9098533/amazon-kinesis) — granted 2015
  A method for using voice commands to tell a computer which object in a photo or video you want to search for, allowing it to automatically isolate that object and perform a visual search.
- [How Cloud Systems Automatically Assign Virtual Machines to Servers](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9075661/hyper-v-virtualization) — granted 2015
  A method for cloud services to automatically choose the best server for a task by filtering out impossible options and then ranking the remaining ones.

**Full profile:** https://patentbrief.org/company/microsoft-technology-licensing-llc

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Plain-English explanations of US patents._