Patents by Inventor Darren Apfel

Darren Apfel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9628755
    Abstract: A system for automatically tracking movement of a user participating in a video chat application executing in a computing device is disclosed. A capture device connected to the computing device captures a user in a field of view of the capture device and identifies a sub-frame of pixels identifying a position of the head, neck and shoulders of the user in a capture frame of a capture area. The sub-frame of pixels is displayed to a remote user at a remote computing system who is participating in the video chat application with the user. The capture device automatically tracks the position of the head, neck and shoulders of the user as the user moves to a next location within the capture area. A next sub-frame of pixels identifying a position of the head, neck and shoulders of the user in the next location is identified and displayed to the remote user at the remote computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Brian McDowell, Darren Apfel
  • Publication number: 20120092445
    Abstract: A system for automatically tracking movement of a user participating in a video chat application executing in a computing device is disclosed. A capture device connected to the computing device captures a user in a field of view of the capture device and identifies a sub-frame of pixels identifying a position of the head, neck and shoulders of the user in a capture frame of a capture area. The sub-frame of pixels is displayed to a remote user at a remote computing system who is participating in the video chat application with the user. The capture device automatically tracks the position of the head, neck and shoulders of the user as the user moves to a next location within the capture area. A next sub-frame of pixels identifying a position of the head, neck and shoulders of the user in the next location is identified and displayed to the remote user at the remote computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brian McDowell, Darren Apfel
  • Publication number: 20090108055
    Abstract: Systems and methods for sharing personalizable cards via a computerized card service are provided. One disclosed method includes, at a card client program executable on a computing device, creating a personalizable card having extensible data, and sending a first instance of the personalizable card to a card service program. The method may further include, at the card service program, propagating the first instance of the personalizable card to a peer of the user, and at the card client program, updating the extensible data of the personalizable card. Upon updating the extensible data, the method may further include sending a second instance of the personalizable card to the card service program, and propagating the second instance of the personalizable card to the peer of the user. The personalizable card may be propagated according to propagation permissions set by the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sandra Vargas, Keith Rowe, Darren Apfel, Andrew Royal
  • Publication number: 20050288006
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for maintaining current contact and metadata information for one or more contacts. A mobile phone stores contact information for multiple forms of mobile phone communication with the contacts. Each contact is identified as either an automatic live contact to be synchronized as new information becomes available or as another contact that will not be synchronized as new information becomes available. The mobile phone communicates the contacts to a data service provider for backup storage and update processing. From automatic contact and metadata information updates initiated by and received from the data service provider the mobile phone periodically updates automatic live contacts. Based on the synchronized contact and metadata information, the mobile phone initiates communication with one of the contacts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Darren Apfel
  • Publication number: 20050055679
    Abstract: A programming object can comprise an executable method for loading a state of the object and an executable method for saving the object's state. The programming object can be an instance of a programmer-defined class. The executable method of the object for loading the state of the object can load the object's state as markup language text, and the executable method of the object for saving the object's state can save the object's state as markup language text.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2004
    Publication date: March 10, 2005
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: James Francis, Frank Mantek, Andrew Layman, Robert Little, Darren Apfel
  • Publication number: 20050027716
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for maintaining current contact and metadata information for one or more contacts. A mobile phone stores contact information for multiple forms of mobile phone communication with the contacts. Each contact is identified as either an automatic live contact to be synchronized as new information becomes available or as another contact that will not be synchronized as new information becomes available. The mobile phone communicates the contacts to a data service provider for backup storage and update processing. From automatic contact and metadata information updates initiated by and received from the data service provider the mobile phone periodically updates automatic live contacts. Based on the synchronized contact and metadata information, the mobile phone initiates communication with one of the contacts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2003
    Publication date: February 3, 2005
    Inventor: Darren Apfel
  • Patent number: 6510453
    Abstract: A method for creating and inserting an electronic mail signature fragment into an electronic mail message during the creation of the electronic mail message is disclosed. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a program module for creating and inserting an electronic mail signature fragment into an electronic mail message during the creation of the electronic mail message is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Darren Apfel, James N. Helfrich