Patents by Inventor Michael R. Hedlund

Michael R. Hedlund 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: 10235008
    Abstract: An avatar display system monitors the activities or status of different members on a network site. Avatars representing the different members are displayed in conjunction with an on-line application according to the different identified member activities or status. Different avatar display techniques and filtering schemes are used to both promote and improve interactions between different members of the on-line application or website.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: SOCIAL CONCEPTS, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph William Lee, Peter August Grendler, Michael R. Hedlund
  • Patent number: 9836800
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system may include a processing device to incrementally unlock, for an account corresponding to a member of an electronic social networking system, member actions based on a score. One member action may be unlocked in response to the score reaching a first threshold, and another member action may be unlocked in response to the score reaching a second different threshold. A remote device that is associated with the account may be updated with one or more graphical user interfaces. Each graphical user interface may be to enable a corresponding one of the member actions of that are incrementally unlocked. Other embodiments may be disclosed or claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: SOCIAL CONCEPTS, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph William Lee, Peter August Grendler, Michael R. Hedlund
  • Publication number: 20170140476
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a server that hosts webpages facilitating user interaction between multiple endpoints. The system monitors for a user input requesting initiation of a happy hour, and when the input is detected, modifies the webpages to alert users of the happy hour. The users are notified of which user initiated the happy hour, and are also notified that interaction incentives accumulate at an increased rate during the happy hour. The system also tracks user scorings that accumulate based on the user interaction, and enables certain website features based on these user scorings. The system also tracks ratings for user-uploaded objects and identifies top rated objects for displaying on webpages viewable by other users.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2017
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Applicant: Social Concepts, Inc., A Delaware Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph William Lee, Peter August Grendler, Michael R. Hedlund
  • Patent number: 9582461
    Abstract: In an example, an electronic device is configured to: associate a set of member actions of an electronic social networking system with an account corresponding to a member of the electronic social networking system; wherein a subset of the associated set of member actions includes member actions to be unlocked; increment a score for the account in response to the member a member-to-member interaction through the electronic social networking system; wherein the electronic social networking system comprises a social networking resource that is configured to provide real time interaction between the member and other members; gradually unlock, for the account, the member actions of the subset based on the score, wherein a first member action of the subset is unlocked in response to the score reaching a first threshold and a second different member action of the subset is unlocked in response to the score reaching a second different threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Social Concepts, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph William Lee, Peter August Grendler, Michael R. Hedlund
  • Publication number: 20150067500
    Abstract: An avatar display system monitors the activities or status of different members on a network site. Avatars representing the different members are displayed in conjunction with an on-line application according to the different identified member activities or status. Different avatar display techniques and filtering schemes are used to both promote and improve interactions between different members of the on-line application or website.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Joseph William Lee, Peter August Grendler, Michael R. Hedlund
  • Patent number: 8738719
    Abstract: An image based email system associates images with different electronic mail (email) senders. The email system receives email messages from different email senders and then looks through either website member profiles or user contacts for associated images. Any located image is displayed in a list of recent senders. This allows the email user to associate recently received email messages with particular sender images or photographs. The images can also be used in a list of favorite or most frequent email senders. Other features of the email system extract information from received email messages to better identify the email senders. These and other features of the email system provide more intuitive and easier to perform email operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Social Concepts, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph W. Lee, Michael R. Hedlund, Peter A. Grendler
  • Publication number: 20140082084
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a server that hosts webpages facilitating user interaction between multiple endpoints. The system monitors for a user input requesting initiation of a happy hour, and when the input is detected, modifies the webpages to alert users of the happy hour. The users are notified of which user initiated the happy hour, and are also notified that interaction incentives accumulate at an increased rate during the happy hour. The system also tracks user scorings that accumulate based on the user interaction, and enables certain website features based on these user scorings. The system also tracks ratings for user-uploaded objects and identifies top rated objects for displaying on webpages viewable by other users.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: Social Concepts, Inc., A Delaware Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph William Lee, Peter August Grendler, Michael R. Hedlund
  • Patent number: 8626828
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a server that hosts webpages facilitating user interaction between multiple endpoints. The system monitors for a user input requesting initiation of a happy hour, and when the input is detected, modifies the webpages to alert users of the happy hour. The users are notified of which user initiated the happy hour, and are also notified that interaction incentives accumulate at an increased rate during the happy hour. The system also tracks user scorings that accumulate based on the user interaction, and enables certain website features based on these user scorings. The system also tracks ratings for user-uploaded objects and identifies top rated objects for displaying on webpages viewable by other users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Social Concepts, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph William Lee, Peter August Grendler, Michael R. Hedlund
  • Patent number: 8413059
    Abstract: An image based email system associates images with different electronic mail (email) senders. The email system receives email messages from different email senders and then looks through either website member profiles or user contacts for associated images. Any located image is displayed in a list of recent senders. This allows the email user to associate recently received email messages with particular sender images or photographs. The images can also be used in a list of favorite or most frequent email senders. Other features of the email system extract information from received email messages to better identify the email senders. These and other features of the email system provide more intuitive and easier to perform email operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Social Concepts, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph William Lee, Michael R. Hedlund, Peter August Grendler
  • Publication number: 20120185538
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a server that hosts webpages facilitating user interaction between multiple endpoints. The system monitors for a user input requesting initiation of a happy hour, and when the input is detected, modifies the webpages to alert users of the happy hour. The users are notified of which user initiated the happy hour, and are also notified that interaction incentives accumulate at an increased rate during the happy hour. The system also tracks user scorings that accumulate based on the user interaction, and enables certain website features based on these user scorings. The system also tracks ratings for user-uploaded objects and identifies top rated objects for displaying on webpages viewable by other users.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicant: Social Concepts, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph William LEE, Peter August Grendler, Michael R. Hedlund
  • Patent number: 8180852
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a server that hosts webpages facilitating user interaction between multiple endpoints. The system monitors for a user input requesting initiation of a happy hour, and when the input is detected, modifies the webpages to alert users of the happy hour. The users are notified of which user initiated the happy hour, and are also notified that interaction incentives accumulate at an increased rate during the happy hour. The system also tracks user scorings that accumulate based on the user interaction, and enables certain website features based on these user scorings. The system also tracks ratings for user-uploaded objects and identifies top rated objects for displaying on webpages viewable by other users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Social Concepts, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph William Lee, Peter August Grendler, Michael R. Hedlund
  • Patent number: 8166407
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a server that hosts webpages facilitating user interaction between multiple endpoints. The system monitors for a user input requesting initiation of a happy hour, and when the input is detected, modifies the webpages to alert users of the happy hour. The users are notified of which user initiated the happy hour, and are also notified that interaction incentives accumulate at an increased rate during the happy hour. The system also tracks user scorings that accumulate based on the user interaction, and enables certain website features based on these user scorings. The system also tracks ratings for user-uploaded objects and identifies top rated objects for displaying on webpages viewable by other users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Social Concepts, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph William Lee, Peter August Grendler, Michael R. Hedlund
  • Publication number: 20080183750
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a server that hosts webpages facilitating user interaction between multiple endpoints. The system monitors for a user input requesting initiation of a happy hour, and when the input is detected, modifies the webpages to alert users of the happy hour. The users are notified of which user initiated the happy hour, and are also notified that interaction incentives accumulate at an increased rate during the happy hour. The system also tracks user scorings that accumulate based on the user interaction, and enables certain website features based on these user scorings. The system also tracks ratings for user-uploaded objects and identifies top rated objects for displaying on webpages viewable by other users.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Applicant: SOCIAL CONCEPTS, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph William Lee, Peter August Grendler, Michael R. Hedlund
  • Publication number: 20080184133
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a server that hosts webpages facilitating user interaction between multiple endpoints. The system monitors for a user input requesting initiation of a happy hour, and when the input is detected, modifies the webpages to alert users of the happy hour. The users are notified of which user initiated the happy hour, and are also notified that interaction incentives accumulate at an increased rate during the happy hour. The system also tracks user scorings that accumulate based on the user interaction, and enables certain website features based on these user scorings. The system also tracks ratings for user-uploaded objects and identifies top rated objects for displaying on webpages viewable by other users.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Applicant: SOCIAL CONCEPTS, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph William Lee, Peter August Grendler, Michael R. Hedlund
  • Publication number: 20080162649
    Abstract: An image based email system associates images with different electronic mail (email) senders. The email system receives email messages from different email senders and then looks through either website member profiles or user contacts for associated images. Any located image is displayed in a list of recent senders. This allows the email user to associate recently received email messages with particular sender images or photographs. The images can also be used in a list of favorite or most frequent email senders. Other features of the email system extract information from received email messages to better identify the email senders. These and other features of the email system provide more intuitive and easier to perform email operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: SOCIAL CONCEPTS, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph William Lee, Michael R. Hedlund, Peter August Grendler