Patents Examined by Andrew J. Fischer
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Patent number: 8751403Abstract: A system and a method for collecting and using market data. The system includes a workstation, where at least one message is entered, a transmitter, where the at least one message is transmitted, a parser for parsing the at least one message, a data recognizer for identifying relevant information in the at least one message, a processor for extracting the relevant information and a communicator for communicating the relevant information.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2007Date of Patent: June 10, 2014Assignee: YellowJacket, Inc.Inventors: Jacob E. Pechenik, Gregory S. Campbell, Douglas E. Miller, Blake A. Barnes
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Patent number: 8374967Abstract: A method and apparatus relating to the renting, leasing and/or loaning of electronic equipment operable and/or controllable by a computer, wherein one entity not in physical possession and/or control of the equipment desires control over another entity which has physical possession and/or control of the equipment. Such equipment may comprise a washing machine, medical, office or industrial equipment, a vending machine, etc. A central computer system includes software which enables management and execution of financial transactions between the entities, such as debiting or crediting of accounts held by these or other entities, or creating an invoice for one entity to present to another entity. Information used in making these financial transactions can be determined by analysis of information which may be communicated to the central computer system from at least one other source. Such source may include the control system of the controlled equipment, e.g.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2008Date of Patent: February 12, 2013Inventor: Munroe Chirnomas
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Patent number: 8234220Abstract: In one embodiment, a user device is configured to allow a user to select any one of a plurality of accounts associated with the user to employ in a financial transaction. In one embodiment, the user device includes a biometric sensor configured to receive a biometric input provided by the user, a user interface configured to receive a user input including secret information known to the user and identifying information concerning an account selected by the user from the plurality of accounts. In a further embodiment, the user device includes a communication link configured to communicate with a secure registry, and a processor coupled to the biometric sensor to receive information concerning the biometric input, the user interface, and the communication link.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2009Date of Patent: July 31, 2012Inventor: Kenneth P. Weiss
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Patent number: 8209262Abstract: A pattern-based policy method for service component architecture (SCA) defines a policy pattern for SCA. The policy pattern includes a plurality of roles and one or more constraints between said plurality of roles. Each of said plurality of roles defines a plurality of intents or policy sets or combination thereof. One or more roles assigned to said one or more SCA components are identified and one or more intents or policy sets or combination thereof associated with said one or more roles are automatically applied to said one or more SCA components. Said one or more intents or policy sets or combination thereof applied to said one or more SCA components are validated based on said one or more constraints.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2008Date of Patent: June 26, 2012Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: David A. Booz, Francisco P. Curbera, Shinichi Hirose, Nirmal K. Mukhi, Yuichi Nakamura, Fumiko Satoh
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Patent number: 8204833Abstract: Various aspects of the present system provide methods and systems for identifying an individual who operates a remote computer. One aspect provides a technique to generate fingerprint of computer and its user based on the information collected through the actions a user conducts on internet. Another aspect of the system provides a technique to compute the fingerprints and find relations between users and computers. Another aspect of the system provides a trust ranking to a user based on the consistency of information collected from the user's various actions.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2009Date of Patent: June 19, 2012Assignee: Softroute CorporationInventors: Ruicao Mu, Tie Hu
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Patent number: 8195577Abstract: In one embodiment, a user device is configured to allow a user to select any one of a plurality of accounts associated with the user to employ in a financial transaction. In one embodiment, the user device includes a biometric sensor configured to receive a biometric input provided by the user, a user interface configured to receive a user input including secret information known to the user and identifying information concerning an account selected by the user from the plurality of accounts. In a further embodiment, the user device includes a communication link configured to communicate with a secure registry, and a processor coupled to the biometric sensor to receive information concerning the biometric input, the user interface, and the communication link.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2009Date of Patent: June 5, 2012Inventor: Kenneth P. Weiss
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Patent number: 8185476Abstract: Technologies for a Consumer Privacy Digital Rights Management system based on stable partially blind signatures that enable a license server to provide licenses for delivery to users without knowing the corresponding digital contents that users access with the license. Therefore consumer privacy is protected during license acquisition. Further, if the client DRM module in the DRM system does not disclose any information about a user's digital content access, and the messages that the client DRM module sends out are in plain text enabling verification that the client DRM module is not disclosing such information, then consumer privacy is fully protected by the DRM system.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2008Date of Patent: May 22, 2012Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Bin Benjamin Zhu, Min Feng
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Patent number: 8170955Abstract: A method, system and software for permitting use of digital works having rights associated therewith in a system having repositories configured to enable use of the digital work in accordance with the rights, including associating a transfer right with a digital work, the transfer right specifying that the digital work is transferred from a first repository to a second repository; transferring the digital work from the first repository to the second repository in accordance with the transfer right; and in response to the transferring, step updating transfer right information in respect of the digital work.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2009Date of Patent: May 1, 2012Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc.Inventors: Mark J. Stefik, Peter L. T. Pirolli
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Patent number: 8160965Abstract: Apparatus, techniques and systems for preventing illegal use of software and other digital files based on operations of a data storage device controller in a computer or computer system. For example, a method for preventing illegal use of software includes: configuring a computer to use a data storage device controller to control use of each digital file stored on one or more data storage devices; before a use of each digital file, operating the data storage device controller to access a storage device on which the digital file is stored to check whether the digital file meets a condition for use; and operating the data storage device controller to block use of the digital file when the condition is not met and to allow execution of the digital file when the condition is met. The digital file can be an application software or other digital documents.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2007Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Inventor: Sergii Mishura
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Patent number: 8156049Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention allow a system or client device to process multiple Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems and formats using a universal DRM client. The universal DRM client can operate based on a universal license so that it may use the same DRM scheme or format used by the content provider. A DRM system may then build a universal license that includes information for gaining access to the content in the DRM package. In turn, a DRM package and the universal license may be provided to the universal client. Based on the information in the universal license, the client device can access the protected content even if it does not have the specific client program code for the DRM format used originally by the content provider.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2004Date of Patent: April 10, 2012Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: James C. Mahlbacher
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Patent number: 8156014Abstract: Each user terminal apparatus is connected with a service business enterprise system by a connection business enterprise system in a state that a live image can mutually be transmitted through the service business enterprise system. An user beforehand sets its live image to be appropriately utilized as an advertisement medium, and chooses selling goods to be advertised. A live image transmitted from the user terminal apparatus of the user who performed the aforesaid setting receives a superposed image, for example, by the superposing the T shirt of the user or the like with the image signal of the selling goods as the advertisement object in the service business enterprise system, and then the processed live image signal is transmitted to the user terminal apparatus of a communication companion.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2001Date of Patent: April 10, 2012Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Motoki Nakade, Jun Tanaka, Yoshito Shiraishi, Etsuo Kuroda
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Patent number: 8150772Abstract: A method for authenticating a financial transaction at a point of sale (POS) includes storing an application program in a first secure element of a mobile phone. The application is configured to generate instruction codes to effect the financial transaction upon verification of a user's identity. The user's credentials are stored in a second SE of the phone, which is operable to verify the user's identity from a biometric trait of the user input to the phone and to generate data authenticating the financial transaction in response to the verification of the user's identity. At the POS, the user invokes the application and then inputs a biometric trait to the phone. The second SE verifies the user's identity, and upon verification, generates data authenticating the transaction. The financial transaction data, including the instruction codes and the authenticating data, are then transmitted from the phone to the POS.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2009Date of Patent: April 3, 2012Assignee: eBay Inc.Inventors: Upendra Mardikar, Eric Duprat
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Patent number: 8145572Abstract: When a conflict occurs among usage rules for content data, a verification on the content data is made in accordance with the conflict solution policy defined in the usage rule for each of the content data. Available content data are determined in correspondence with a combination of grant verification results individually made on the content data.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2008Date of Patent: March 27, 2012Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventor: Satoshi Ito
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Patent number: 8135649Abstract: A method for automatically linking an anonymous electronic trade order having an order quantity (q) to an identity of a trader by providing an identity marker (s) of the trader; embedding the identity marker (s) by splitting the anonymous trade order into a number (n) of trade orders each having a corresponding order quantity x (i) to generate a trade order set; and placing the generated trade order set in an electronic order book.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2009Date of Patent: March 13, 2012Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Jan Leonhard Camenisch, Christopher Mark Kenyon
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Patent number: 8131572Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of electronically exchanging tickets for an event in a secondary market from ticket sellers to ticket buyers located at remote terminals. The method comprises associating the tickets with the authentication data of the ticket seller, receiving from ticket sellers electronic asks comprising an ask quantity and an ask price, receiving from a ticket buyer an electronic bid comprising a bid quantity and a bid price, comparing the bid to the asks, completing a transfer of the tickets when the bid price equals the ask price and the ask quantity is equal to or greater than the bid quantity, and reassociating the tickets with authentication data of the ticket buyer. Also disclosed is a system for performing the method.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2002Date of Patent: March 6, 2012Assignee: Flash Seats, LLCInventor: Brett Nakfoor
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Patent number: 8112361Abstract: A method and system for dynamic, real-time addition of advertisements to downloaded static content. The method comprises seamlessly combining a downloaded original content file with personalized information on a user device, and allowing the user either to use the combined original content and personalized information without possibility of personalized information removal, or to remove the personalized information after a fee payment. The seamless combination and removal operations are done by a player located in the user device.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2005Date of Patent: February 7, 2012Assignee: Hiro Media Ltd.Inventors: Ronny Golan, Ariel Napchi
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Patent number: 8112362Abstract: A storage system and a license management method that can simplify license management are proposed. In a storage system in which a first storage apparatus is connected to one or a plurality of second storage apparatuses and the first storage apparatus virtualizes each of the second storage apparatuses, the first storage apparatus checks, based on this license key, which targets the license key input from the outside for setting a predetermined optional function has been issued for, and transmits the license key to the corresponding second storage apparatus when the target to which the license key has been issued is the second storage apparatus, and the second storage apparatus sets the corresponding optional function in its own storage apparatus based on the license key transmitted from the first storage apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2005Date of Patent: February 7, 2012Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventor: Hiroshi Abei
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Patent number: 8108316Abstract: The disclosure is directed to systems, apparatus, and methods for online purchasing. In one example, a system includes a web server that presents purchase options and receives user input. The system may also include an application server that attempts to authenticate users to existing accounts using an account identifier, such as a user ID or email address. If a user does not provide an identifier corresponding to an existing account, the application server may create a new account. If the user provides an identifier corresponding to an existing account, but does not provide a valid password, the application server may create a provisional account. The application server may also associate purchases with the user's account and provide access to the purchased product. Purchases associated with a provisional account may be resolved with an existing or newly-created permanent account when additional user information is received, such when the product is registered.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2007Date of Patent: January 31, 2012Assignee: Symantec CorporationInventors: Steven Shapiro, Paul Agbabian, Robert Curlee, Daniel Grimes, Gil Reuveny, Lyn Tran
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Patent number: 8095471Abstract: A contract management mechanism is disclosed for managing contracts in the software licensing arena. The management mechanism may be used, for example, to manage one or more fulfillment contracts. In operation (assuming a software licensing implementation for the sake of example), the management mechanism receives an inquiry regarding licensing of a particular set of software under a particular contract (the contract entitles a customer to consume a certain quota of resources under the contract). In response to the inquiry, the management mechanism determines a licensing amount. This licensing amount may be determined based upon many factors, including the set of software selected, other parameters specified in the inquiry, and the terms associated with the contract. Once the licensing amount is determined, and the customer commits to licensing the software, the management mechanism reduces the quota parameter of the contract by the licensing amount and allows the software to be used under the contract.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2001Date of Patent: January 10, 2012Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.Inventors: Eric Yang, Scott Baeder
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Patent number: 8090658Abstract: A member unique name (MUN) system and MUN translation system and method are provided. The MUN system comprises a dimension reference for defining the context in which the remaining portions of the MUN exist and a canonical business key for uniquely identifying a member across different dimensional data sources within a business enterprise. The MUN translation system comprises a translation selection module for selecting a MUN transformation and a collection of MUN transformations for transforming a MUN of a first data source into a MUN of the second data source.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2006Date of Patent: January 3, 2012Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Glen Seeds, David Cushing, Henk Cazemier