Michael A Hoffman

US Patent:

8024431, Sep 20, 2011

Filed:

Jan 11, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/013147

Inventors:

Michael T. Hoffman - Carrboro NC, US

Assignee:

Domingo Enterprises, LLC - Wilmington DE

International Classification:

G06F 15/177

US Classification:

709220, 709224, 709204

Abstract:

A system and method for identifying transient friends for a social network of a user are provided. A transient friend processing function obtains locations of a number of users or locations otherwise associated with the number of users. In order to identify transient friends for a first user, the transient friend processing function identifies other users associated with locations within a proximate area of the first user. For each of the identified users, the transient friend processing function compares a user profile of the first user to a user profile of the identified user to determine whether to add the identified user as a transient friend of the first user. If the transient friend processing function determines that the identified friend is to be added as a transient friend of the first user, the identified friend is then added as a transient friend of the first user.

US Patent:

8517896, Aug 27, 2013

Filed:

Apr 2, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/417327

Inventors:

Christopher A. Robinette - Alameda CA, US
Matt Capozzi - Portland OR, US
Michael T. Hoffman - Portland OR, US
Tomislav Lakovic - Portland OR, US

Assignee:

NIKE, Inc. - Beaverton OR

International Classification:

A63B 71/00
G01C 21/00
G01C 22/00

US Classification:

482 8, 482 9, 377 242, 702160

Abstract:

A wearable device has a carrier having an aperture. A device has a USB connection and a protrusion wherein the protrusion is received in the aperture to connect the device to a wristband. The device is a USB type device having athletic functionality. The device may further be configured to receive calibration data such that a measured distance may be converted to a known distance based on athletic activity performed by a user.

US Patent:

20030023535, Jan 30, 2003

Filed:

Aug 23, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/226940

Inventors:

Michael Hoffman - San Francisco CA, US

International Classification:

G06F017/60

US Classification:

705/036000

Abstract:

In one embodiment of the present methods and systems, a method is provided for assisting at least one investment pool with managing flows of the investment pool. The method includes selling a security to the investment pool; receiving an amount of assets of the investment pool as payment for the security; and performing at least one of a subscription transaction and a redemption transaction for the investment pool using at least a portion of the payment. System and computer-readable media embodiments associated with various embodiments and aspects of the present methods are also provided.

US Patent:

20040169664, Sep 2, 2004

Filed:

Mar 4, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/793557

Inventors:

Michael Hoffman - Durham NC, US
Steven Petersen - Bellevue WA, US

International Classification:

G06T011/20

US Classification:

345/629000

Abstract:

An apparatus and a method for capturing the visual appearance of each alteration in a set of potential physical alterations of an object or class of objects, such that the potential application of any combination of alterations from that set applied to an object of that class can be represented visually even if that combination of alterations has never actually been physically applied to an object of that class. The visual representation can be a digital image file of photographic quality and accuracy with no visible anomalies between the background image and the applied alterations. The physical alterations can be intended to communicate a textual message.

US Patent:

20090083117, Mar 26, 2009

Filed:

Dec 13, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/609962

Inventors:

Hugh Svendsen - Chapel Hill NC, US
Michael T. Hoffman - Carrboro NC, US

Assignee:

CONCERT TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION - Durham NC

International Classification:

G06Q 99/00
G06F 7/06
G06N 5/02
G06F 17/30

US Classification:

705 10, 707 4, 706 52, 707E17109, 707E17009

Abstract:

A system and method are provided for matching participants in a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) recommendation network that is loosely coupled to a subscription music service. In general, the system includes a central server and a number of peer devices. For each of the peer devices, an associated user is either a subscriber to the subscription music service or a non-subscriber. When a user of a peer device desires to identify new friends with which to exchange recommendations in the P2P recommendation network, a friend recommendation function of the central server identifies new friends for the user of the peer device based on the user's status as either a subscriber or a non-subscriber to the subscription music service.

US Patent:

20130304604, Nov 14, 2013

Filed:

Nov 2, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/668168

Inventors:

Michael Theodor Hoffman - Menlo Park CA, US
Chad James Phillips - Portland OR, US

International Classification:

G06Q 30/06

US Classification:

705 265

Abstract:

A system and method are provided for creating, managing, rendering and delivering digitally synthesized products that can be automatically generated as a function of variable attributes provided by a variety of sources. The system can include design tools for creating workflows that describe the rules for dynamically creating digital products; licensing system to manage product licensing; distributed synthesis systems for generating products; location based services to manage location/time specific products; sharing services for transferring products; web services for composing and sharing products; mobile applications for composing and sharing products; notification services for notifying participants of system state changes; databases for managing the components of the system; extension services for externally developed system extensions; API services for external management and utilization of the system; and e-commerce services for paying or collecting fees for usage of the system by contributors or users.

US Patent:

57616558, Jun 2, 1998

Filed:

Mar 10, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/208195

Inventors:

Michael T. Hoffman - Durham NC

Assignee:

Alphatronix, Inc. - Research Triangle Park NC

International Classification:

G06F 1730

US Classification:

707 4

Abstract:

A system which creates, stores, retrieves and displays thumbnail images. The dominant colors of the image are displayed in the thumbnail images. The dominant colors in an image are determined using groups of pixels where the average color is used to select an appropriate dominant color for display. The size of the thumbnails displayed and the area set for displaying the thumbnails can be changed to allow visual review of either a large number of thumbnails or a smaller but larger size set of thumbnails. Thumbnails, and other image files and other related text files and non-related files can be indexed and searched using keywords by using keyword views into the stored files to indicate a match when the views designate the same file. The system allows a search to be based on a partial match of keywords. Searching can be performed using super-keywords, which are combinations of keywords and other file and data characteristics.

US Patent:

20210312185, Oct 7, 2021

Filed:

Apr 2, 2020

Appl. No.:

16/838222

Inventors:

- San Jose CA, US
Michael Dean Hoffman - Durham NC, US

International Classification:

G06K 9/00
G06K 9/62
G06F 3/0482
G10L 25/27

Abstract:

Systems and methods are described herein for curating content that follows a narrative structure. A narrative structure comprises narrative portions that have a defined order. Signature analysis of known content that follows the narrative structure is used to train machine learning models for the narrative structure and the narrative portions that make up the narrative structure. Signature analysis of candidate content segments, along with machine learning models for the narrative portions, are used to identify candidate content segments that match the respective narrative portions. A candidate playlist is generated of the identified candidate content segments in the defined order. In one embodiment, the machine learning model for the narrative structure is used to validate the generated playlist.