perhaps we can get some information at the us patent & trademark office http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/search-bool.html ms-patents: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fn etahtml%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=0&f=S&l=50&TERM1=Microsoft&FIELD1=ASNM&co1=AND& TERM2=&FIELD2=&d=ft00