Bill Gates
Founder, Microsoft
United States
Few names in technology command as much recognition as Bill Gates—the visionary behind Microsoft and a driving force in the personal computing revolution. Beyond co-founding one of the world’s most influential software companies, Gates has played a pivotal role in shaping the digital age. His contributions extend far beyond business, from technological advancements to global philanthropy through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
With a net worth of $107.6 billion (as of March 2025, Forbes), Gates’ influence spans industries. Even after stepping down as Microsoft’s chairman in 2014 and later as a board member in 2020, his impact continues—both in innovation and humanitarian efforts.
But beyond the corporate milestones and accolades, Gates’ intellectual footprint is reflected in the patents linked to him—offering a deeper look into his contributions to technology and innovation.
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Total Patents
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394
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Granted Patents
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204
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Associated Companies
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Microsoft, Breakthrough Energy, Cascade Investments
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Field of Invention
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Software and Technology
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Bill Gates’s portfolio has 394 patents belonging to 108 unique patent families. His patent belong to diverse technological domains such as Data Processing, Healthcare, Networking & Communication, Vehicle Technology and Renewable Energy.
How many patents do other industry leaders have?
Key Patents of Bill Gates
Bill Gates’ patents offer a glimpse into the mind of a visionary—where technology meets real-world impact. Below are some of his most notable innovations, shaping the future beyond software.
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S.No.
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Publication Number
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Title
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First Filing Year
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Tech Area
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1
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Personal data mining
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2006
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Data Processing
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|
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2
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Marketplace for cloud services resources
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2006
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Cloud Computing
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|
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3
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Virtual entertainment
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2006
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Virtual Reality
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|
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4
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Hardware architecture for cloud services
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2006
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Cloud Computing
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|
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5
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Wearable wireless power transmitter
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2010
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Wearable
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Let’s decode Bill Gates’ inventive footprint—exploring the technologies he has patented, the trends shaping his patents and the global research hubs driving his innovations.
The data of inventors patents made available here is solely intended for informational purposes. Although we make every effort to maintain the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the provided information, we cannot guarantee that all data is completely free of errors or entirely up-to-date. If you happen to be the Inventor and wish to contribute additional data for your respective portfolio, kindly get in touch with us.
How Many Patents did Bill Gates File Every Year?
Are you wondering why there is a drop in patent filing for the last two years? It is because a patent application can take up to 18 months to get published. Certainly, it doesn’t suggest a decrease in the patent filing.
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Year of Patents Filing or Grant
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Bill Gates Applications Filed
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Bill Gates Patents Granted
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2022
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–
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2
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2021
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1
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1
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2020
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–
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10
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2019
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4
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13
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2018
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6
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18
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2017
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11
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22
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2016
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21
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25
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2015
|
25
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41
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2014
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23
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31
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2013
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42
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15
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2012
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34
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9
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2011
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59
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7
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2010
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36
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7
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2009
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33
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1
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2008
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24
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–
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2007
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27
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–
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2006
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46
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1
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2002
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1
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–
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1996
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–
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1
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1994
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1
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–
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How Many Bill Gates patents are Alive/Dead?
Worldwide Patents
How Many Patents did Bill Gates File in Different Countries?
Countries in which Bill Gates Filed Patents
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Country
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Patents
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United States of America
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326
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Europe (EPO)
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18
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Hong Kong (S.A.R.)
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4
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Austria
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3
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India
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1
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Canada
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1
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Which Technologies are covered by Bill Gates’s Patents?
Our analysis of the Bill Gates patent portfolio revealed no design patents owned by Bill Gates. However, the patents span diverse technological domains as illustrated in the chart below.
We also came across few intriguing inventions in the Bill Gates patent portfolio. Read the summary of these ingenious innovations that showcase the incredible diversity of Bill Gates’s technological ventures.
A surprising method for generating electricity from plants is hidden in the patent, US20140187425A1. Imagine plants which use less water and capture more carbon dioxide from air to produce electricity. That’s the idea behind this invention. By giving the plants a special solution with at least 0.1% CO2, the plants can capture carbon dioxide which is then used for generation of electricity.
This patent, US9648309B2, describes a display that creates 3D images without any special glasses. The display screen is packed with millions of tiny pixels where each pixel shows two separate images for each eye. Then, the optical deflection system, comes in to direct the left eye image to the left eye and the right eye image to the right eye transforming the flat screen into 3D visuals.
A clever invention for controlling vehicle tire pressure is disclosed in the patent, US9511634B2. The system uses a built-in road sensor, a pressure regulator and a controller. By analysing the road conditions, the system automatically adjusts the air pressure in the car tires. This means smoother rides and increased safety thanks to the tires which are inflated just right.
Imagine a futuristic bandaid which helps in efficient release and absorption of the medicine on the skin. Well, this is exactly what the patent, US20170319841A1, discloses. The special patch includes a built-in ultrasound emitter which generates gentle soundwaves for opening up the skin a little bit for allowing absorption of the medicine and it all comes without any side-effects too!
Well, this sums up the interesting summaries of the fascinating patents we discovered during our analysis. Keep reading to get more informative insights we mined through the Bill Gates patent portfolio.
The chart below distributes patents filed by Bill Gates in different countries on the basis of the technology protected in patents. It also represents the markets where Bill Gates thinks it’s important to protect particular technology inventions.
R&D Focus: How Bill Gates Research Focus Changes Over the Years?
10 Best Bill Gates Patents
US7930197B2 is the most popular patent in the Bill Gates’s portfolio. It has received 592 citations so far from companies like Apple, Philips and IBM.
Below is the list of 10 most cited patents of Bill Gates:
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Publication Number
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Citation Count
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592
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411
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354
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310
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|
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305
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|
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302
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|
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288
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273
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|
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243
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238
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How Many Inventions of Other Companies were rejected due to Bill Gates’s Patents?
The statistics below share strategic R&D insights. It tells the companies that were trying to protect inventions similar to Bill Gates’s invention. They couldn’t because Bill Gates had protected those before them.
Examiners at the USPTO referred 314 Bill Gates patents in 4343 rejections (such as 35 USC § 102 or 35 USC § 103 types).
The top citing companies in the Bill Gates patent portfolio are Energous Corporation, IBM and Google.
List of the Companies whose patents were rejected citing Bill Gates–
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Company
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Number of Patent Applications that faced Rejection Citing Bill Gates Patents
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Number of Rejections
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Energous Corporation
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48
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98
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IBM
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45
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179
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Google
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49
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165
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Gamblit Gaming Llc
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28
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42
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Rubius Therapeutics
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25
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139
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Cisco Technology
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24
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65
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Apple
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19
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63
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Onetrust Llc
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22
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68
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Elwha Llc
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19
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84
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Icontrol Networks
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18
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148
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Top Bill Gates Patents used in Rejecting Most Patent Applications
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Patent Number
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Count of Rejected Applications
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US20080080396A1
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56
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US20110282415A1
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55
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US20080004951A1
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54
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US20080005223A1
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46
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US8211656B2
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35
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US7930197B2
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33
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US8012023B2
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30
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US20080104393A1
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29
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US20080005067A1
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29
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US20130060868A1
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28
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Interested in learning more about Microsoft patents? We’ve got you covered. Click here to explore our informative articles.
