Patents by Inventor Patrick Howell
Patrick Howell 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).
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Publication number: 20260010572Abstract: A method of operating a health tracking system is disclosed herein. The health tracking system includes a processor and a database configured to store a plurality of data records, each of the plurality of data records comprising at least a descriptive string and nutritional data regarding a respective consumable item. The method includes receiving, with the processor, a query string. The method further includes searching, with the processor, based on the query string, the database to retrieve a list of data records in the plurality of data records from the database. The method also includes determining, with the processor, a ranked list of data records by ranking the list of data records using a machine learning-based ranking model, based on the descriptive string and the nutritional data of data records in the list of data records.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2025Publication date: January 8, 2026Inventors: Surender Reddy Yerva, Iman Barjasteh, Patrick Howell, Chul Lee, Hesamoddin Salehian
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Publication number: 20250335968Abstract: A method for operating a health tracking system, a health tracking system, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for operating a health tracking system are disclosed. The method comprises receiving a data record comprising at least a descriptive string and nutritional data regarding a consumable item to which the data record corresponds; determining a taste associated to the consumable item based on an evaluation of at least one of: (i) the descriptive string, and (ii) the nutritional data; and associating the determined taste with the data record in a database.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2025Publication date: October 30, 2025Inventors: Chul Lee, Kyler Eastman, Patrick Howell, Layla Martin, Hesamoddin Salehian, Joohyun Kim
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Patent number: 12437004Abstract: A method and system for providing more relevant search results and recommendation from a food database is disclosed. The method includes receiving a query, a first candidate food, and a second candidate food. The method includes generating vectors based on the query and food names of the first and second candidate foods using at least one embedding function of a machine learning model. The method includes determining nutrition content vectors from the nutritional data of the first and second candidate foods. The method includes generating a nutrition content vector based on the query using another embedding function of the machine learning model. The method includes determining which of the first and second candidate food is more relevant to the query based at least in part on the nutrition content vectors. The method includes providing search results or recommendation based on the determined relevance.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2024Date of Patent: October 7, 2025Assignee: MyFitnessPal, Inc.Inventors: Surender Reddy Yerva, Iman Barjasteh, Patrick Howell, Chul Lee, Hesamoddin Salehian
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Publication number: 20250217643Abstract: A health tracking system and method of operation is disclosed herein. The method of operating the health tracking system comprises: receiving a first data record comprising at least a first descriptive string regarding a consumable item, the first descriptive string having at least one word thereof incorrectly spelled; generating a vector using the first descriptive string using a machine learning model; identifying a second descriptive string which corresponds to the consumable item and which has a correct spelling of the at least one incorrectly spelled word by applying the machine learning model to the generated vector; calculating a confidence factor regarding the identified second descriptive string using the machine learning model; and when it is determined that the confidence factor exceeds a predetermined threshold, (i) modifying the first data record by replacing the first descriptive string with the second descriptive string, and (ii) storing the modified first data record in the database.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2024Publication date: July 3, 2025Inventors: Wenzhe Xue, Hesamoddin Salehian, Patrick Howell
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Patent number: 12327275Abstract: A method for operating a health tracking system, a health tracking system, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for operating a health tracking system are disclosed. The method comprises receiving a data record comprising at least a descriptive string and nutritional data regarding a consumable item to which the data record corresponds; determining a taste associated to the consumable item based on an evaluation of at least one of: (i) the descriptive string, and (ii) the nutritional data; and associating the determined taste with the data record in a database.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2020Date of Patent: June 10, 2025Assignee: MyFitnessPal, Inc.Inventors: Chul Lee, Kyler Eastman, Patrick Howell, Layla Martin, Hesamoddin Salehian, Joohyun Kim
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Patent number: 12182706Abstract: A health tracking system and method of operation is disclosed herein. The method of operating the health tracking system comprises: receiving a first data record comprising at least a first descriptive string regarding a consumable item, the first descriptive string having at least one word thereof incorrectly spelled; generating a vector using the first descriptive string using a machine learning model; identifying a second descriptive string which corresponds to the consumable item and which has a correct spelling of the at least one incorrectly spelled word by applying the machine learning model to the generated vector; calculating a confidence factor regarding the identified second descriptive string using the machine learning model; and when it is determined that the confidence factor exceeds a predetermined threshold, (i) modifying the first data record by replacing the first descriptive string with the second descriptive string, and (ii) storing the modified first data record in the database.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2023Date of Patent: December 31, 2024Assignee: MyFitnessPal, Inc.Inventors: Wenzhe Xue, Hesamoddin Salehian, Patrick Howell
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Publication number: 20240386022Abstract: System and method for associating user-entered consumable item description to an entry in a consumable item database. In one embodiment, formally structured restaurant menu item is matched to a large database of food items that has been constructed via crowd-sourcing. A novel, practical, and scalable machine learning solution architecture, consisting of two major steps is utilized. First a query generation approach is applied, based on a Markov Decision Process algorithm, to reduce the time complexity of searching for matching candidates. That is then followed by a re-ranking step, using deep learning techniques, to ensure matching quality goals are met.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 6, 2024Publication date: November 21, 2024Inventors: Patrick Howell, Chul Lee, Hesamoddin Salehian
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Publication number: 20240232266Abstract: A method and system for providing more relevant search results and recommendation from a food database is disclosed. The method includes receiving a query, a first candidate food, and a second candidate food. The method includes generating vectors based on the query and food names of the first and second candidate foods using at least one embedding function of a machine learning model. The method includes determining nutrition content vectors from the nutritional data of the first and second candidate foods. The method includes generating a nutrition content vector based on the query using another embedding function of the machine learning model. The method includes determining which of the first and second candidate food is more relevant to the query based at least in part on the nutrition content vectors. The method includes providing search results or recommendation based on the determined relevance.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 12, 2024Publication date: July 11, 2024Inventors: Surender Reddy Yerva, Iman Barjasteh, Patrick Howell, Chul Lee, Hesamoddin Salehian
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Patent number: 12008002Abstract: System and method for associating user-entered consumable item description to an entry in a consumable item database. In one embodiment, formally structured restaurant menu item is matched to a large database of food items that has been constructed via crowd-sourcing. A novel, practical, and scalable machine learning solution architecture, consisting of two major steps is utilized. First a query generation approach is applied, based on a Markov Decision Process algorithm, to reduce the time complexity of searching for matching candidates. That is then followed by a re-ranking step, using deep learning techniques, to ensure matching quality goals are met.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2022Date of Patent: June 11, 2024Assignee: MyFitnessPal, Inc.Inventors: Patrick Howell, Chul Lee, Hesamoddin Salehian
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Patent number: 11874879Abstract: A method and system for providing more relevant search results and recommendation from a food database is disclosed. The method includes receiving a query, a first candidate food, and a second candidate food. The method includes generating vectors based on the query and food names of the first and second candidate foods using at least one embedding function of a machine learning model. The method includes determining nutrition content vectors from the nutritional data of the first and second candidate foods. The method includes generating a nutrition content vector based on the query using another embedding function of the machine learning model. The method includes determining which of the first and second candidate food is more relevant to the query based at least in part on the nutrition content vectors. The method includes providing search results or recommendation based on the determined relevance.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2021Date of Patent: January 16, 2024Assignee: MyFitnessPal, Inc.Inventors: Surender Reddy Yerva, Iman Barjasteh, Patrick Howell, Chul Lee, Hesamoddin Salehian
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Publication number: 20230281446Abstract: A health tracking system and method of operation is disclosed herein. The method of operating the health tracking system comprises: receiving a first data record comprising at least a first descriptive string regarding a consumable item, the first descriptive string having at least one word thereof incorrectly spelled; generating a vector using the first descriptive string using a machine learning model; identifying a second descriptive string which corresponds to the consumable item and which has a correct spelling of the at least one incorrectly spelled word by applying the machine learning model to the generated vector; calculating a confidence factor regarding the identified second descriptive string using the machine learning model; and when it is determined that the confidence factor exceeds a predetermined threshold, (i) modifying the first data record by replacing the first descriptive string with the second descriptive string, and (ii) storing the modified first data record in the database.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2023Publication date: September 7, 2023Inventors: Wenzhe Xue, Hesamoddin Salehian, Patrick Howell
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Patent number: 11610123Abstract: A method of operating a health tracking system is disclosed. The method comprises: receiving a first data record comprising at least a first descriptive string regarding a consumable item, the first descriptive string having at least one word thereof incorrectly spelled; generating a vector using the first descriptive string using a machine learning model; identifying a second descriptive string which corresponds to the consumable item and which has a correct spelling of the at least one incorrectly spelled word by applying the machine learning model to the generated vector; calculating a confidence factor regarding the identified second descriptive string using the machine learning model; and when it is determined that the confidence factor exceeds a predetermined threshold, (i) modifying the first data record by replacing the first descriptive string with the second descriptive string, and (ii) storing the modified first data record in the database.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2021Date of Patent: March 21, 2023Assignee: MyFitnessPal, Inc.Inventors: Wenzhe Xue, Hesamoddin Salehian, Patrick Howell
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Publication number: 20220292574Abstract: Apparatus and methods are given for providing enhanced product recommendations. In one embodiment, products are recommended to a consumer based on information manually entered by the consumer and/or derived from data relating to the consumer obtained from a health-monitoring platform. The recommended products are provided from a recommendation engine to a human operator or curator at an item selection entity, the curator selects a predetermined number of the recommended products for delivery to the consumer. Such delivery is established by the consumer to occur periodically (such as monthly) as part of a subscription service. Product recommendations are adjusted over time to relate to customer activity and interest data accumulated from the health-monitoring platform. In one embodiment, a recommendation engine is configured to specifically tailor its recommendation algorithms based on feedback information received from the curator and/or the consumer.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2022Publication date: September 15, 2022Applicant: Under Armour, Inc.Inventors: Madeline Taylor Rose, Patrick Howell, Joohyun Kim, Murtaza Ali, Sid Jatia, Chul Lee
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Publication number: 20220229844Abstract: System and method for associating user-entered consumable item description to an entry in a consumable item database. In one embodiment, formally structured restaurant menu item is matched to a large database of food items that has been constructed via crowd-sourcing. A novel, practical, and scalable machine learning solution architecture, consisting of two major steps is utilized. First a query generation approach is applied, based on a Markov Decision Process algorithm, to reduce the time complexity of searching for matching candidates. That is then followed by a re-ranking step, using deep learning techniques, to ensure matching quality goals are met.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 4, 2022Publication date: July 21, 2022Inventors: Patrick Howell, Chul Lee, Hesamoddin Salehian
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Patent number: 11393007Abstract: Apparatus and methods are given for providing enhanced product recommendations. In one embodiment, products are recommended to a consumer based on information manually entered by the consumer and/or derived from data relating to the consumer obtained from a health-monitoring platform. The recommended products are provided from a recommendation engine to a human operator or curator at an item selection entity, the curator selects a predetermined number of the recommended products for delivery to the consumer. Such delivery is established by the consumer to occur periodically (such as monthly) as part of a subscription service. Product recommendations are adjusted over time to relate to customer activity and interest data accumulated from the health-monitoring platform. In one embodiment, a recommendation engine is configured to specifically tailor its recommendation algorithms based on feedback information received from the curator and/or the consumer.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2016Date of Patent: July 19, 2022Assignee: Under Armour, Inc.Inventors: Madeline Taylor Rose, Patrick Howell, Joohyun Kim, Murtaza Ali, Sid Jatia, Chul Lee
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Patent number: 11347751Abstract: System and method for associating user-entered consumable item description to an entry in a consumable item database. In one embodiment, formally structured restaurant menu item is matched to a large database of food items that has been constructed via crowd-sourcing. A novel, practical, and scalable machine learning solution architecture, consisting of two major steps is utilized. First a query generation approach is applied, based on a Markov Decision Process algorithm, to reduce the time complexity of searching for matching candidates. That is then followed by a re-ranking step, using deep learning techniques, to ensure matching quality goals are met.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2017Date of Patent: May 31, 2022Assignee: MyFitnessPal, Inc.Inventors: Patrick Howell, Chul Lee, Hesamoddin Salehian
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Publication number: 20210390139Abstract: A method and system for providing more relevant search results and recommendation from a food database is disclosed. The method includes receiving a query, a first candidate food, and a second candidate food. The method includes generating vectors based on the query and food names of the first and second candidate foods using at least one embedding function of a machine learning model. The method includes determining nutrition content vectors from the nutritional data of the first and second candidate foods. The method includes generating a nutrition content vector based on the query using another embedding function of the machine learning model. The method includes determining which of the first and second candidate food is more relevant to the query based at least in part on the nutrition content vectors. The method includes providing search results or recommendation based on the determined relevance.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2021Publication date: December 16, 2021Inventors: Surender Reddy Yerva, Iman Barjasteh, Patrick Howell, Chul Lee, Hesamoddin Salehian
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Publication number: 20210342693Abstract: A method of operating a health tracking system is disclosed. The method comprises: receiving a first data record comprising at least a first descriptive string regarding a consumable item, the first descriptive string having at least one word thereof incorrectly spelled; generating a vector using the first descriptive string using a machine learning model; identifying a second descriptive string which corresponds to the consumable item and which has a correct spelling of the at least one incorrectly spelled word by applying the machine learning model to the generated vector; calculating a confidence factor regarding the identified second descriptive string using the machine learning model; and when it is determined that the confidence factor exceeds a predetermined threshold, (i) modifying the first data record by replacing the first descriptive string with the second descriptive string, and (ii) storing the modified first data record in the database.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 19, 2021Publication date: November 4, 2021Inventors: Wenzhe Xue, Hesamoddin Salehian, Patrick Howell
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Patent number: 11106742Abstract: A method and system for providing more relevant search results and recommendation from a food database is disclosed. The method includes receiving a query, a first candidate food, and a second candidate food. The method includes generating text feature vectors based on the query and food names of the first and second candidate foods using at least one first embedding function of a machine learning model. The method includes determining nutrition content vectors from the nutritional data of the first and second candidate foods. The method includes generating a nutrition content vector based on the query using a second embedding function of the machine learning model. The method includes determining which of the first and second candidate food is more relevant to the query based on the text feature vectors and the nutrition content vectors. The method includes providing search results or recommendation based on the determined relevance.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2019Date of Patent: August 31, 2021Assignee: MyFitnessPal, Inc.Inventors: Surender Reddy Yerva, Iman Barjasteh, Patrick Howell, Chul Lee, Hesamoddin Salehian
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Patent number: 11087210Abstract: A method of operating a health tracking system is disclosed. The method comprises: receiving a first data record comprising at least a first descriptive string regarding a consumable item, the first descriptive string having at least one word thereof incorrectly spelled; generating a vector using the first descriptive string using a machine learning model; identifying a second descriptive string which corresponds to the consumable item and which has a correct spelling of the at least one incorrectly spelled word by applying the machine learning model to the generated vector; calculating a confidence factor regarding the identified second descriptive string using the machine learning model; and when it is determined that the confidence factor exceeds a predetermined threshold, (i) modifying the first data record by replacing the first descriptive string with the second descriptive string, and (ii) storing the modified first data record in the database.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2017Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignee: MyFitnessPal, Inc.Inventors: Wenzhe Xue, Hesamoddin Salehian, Patrick Howell