Patents Examined by Ernest A Jackson
  • Patent number: 8478622
    Abstract: The present invention relates to managing and scheduling videoconferences. It introduces a novel mechanism for scheduling a virtual resource connected to an individual or a group of individuals. The virtual resource is associated to one or more conference systems in a conference management system, and an entity representing the virtual re-source is displayed in a conventional resource planning application (e.g. Microsoft Outlook) allowing a user to investigate if the virtual resource, i.e. at least one of the conference systems, is free or busy. The user is then able to schedule a conference with the resource by a familiar scheduling interface, and without having to know with which alternative conference systems the individual or group of individuals connected to the virtual resource is associated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Nicolai Grodum
  • Patent number: 8457999
    Abstract: Projects of any type require sophisticated management software programs. In reality, these management software programs are provided by various vendors and for different professional fields. For example, scheduling programs for construction professionals, blue print programs for drafting professionals, accounting programs for cost-control professionals. In addition, there are numerous other unofficial and official documents generated by managers of different levels for reporting or track-record-keeping purposes using popular word processing programs and spread-sheet programs. Documents generated by different software programs can only be viewed under the programs they are generated under or compatible programs. This poses a problem in that there is a lack of organized control resulting in difficulty in locating and viewing documents in a timely manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Stellar Services
    Inventor: Liang J. Chen
  • Patent number: 8438053
    Abstract: Projects of any type require sophisticated management software programs. In reality, these management software programs are provided by various vendors and for different professional fields. For example, scheduling programs for construction professionals, blue print programs for drafting professionals, accounting programs for cost-control professionals. In addition, there are numerous other unofficial and official documents generated by managers of different levels for reporting or track-record-keeping purposes using popular word processing programs and spread-sheet programs. Documents generated by different software programs can only be viewed under the programs they are generated under or compatible programs. This poses a problem in that there is a lack of organized control resulting in difficulty in locating and viewing documents in a timely manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: 4 U Services
    Inventor: Liang J. Chen
  • Patent number: 8417559
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method described for facilitating selection of an assortment of products to offer for sale. The method includes receiving transaction data representing characteristics of a plurality of commercial transactions including a first product and a second product. Product attribute data representing attributes for at least the two products are also received. Substitution demand data for the second product is estimated which represents demand for the second product given the first product is not available, the estimation being based on the transaction data and product attribute data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Fair Isaac Corporation
    Inventors: Ashutosh Umakant Joshi, Zhenyu Yan, Marc-david Cohen, Shailesh Kumar
  • Patent number: 8412550
    Abstract: Projects of any type require sophisticated management software programs. In reality, these management software programs are provided by various vendors and for different professional fields. For example, scheduling programs for construction professionals, blue print programs for drafting professionals, accounting programs for cost-control professionals. In addition, there are numerous other unofficial and official documents generated by managers of different levels for reporting or track-record-keeping purposes using popular word processing programs and spread-sheet programs. Documents generated by different software programs can only be viewed under the programs they are generated under or compatible programs. This poses a problem in that there is a lack of organized control resulting in difficulty in locating and viewing documents in a timely manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Inventor: Liang J. Chen
  • Patent number: 8396731
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for implementing a software architecture design for a software application implementing service procurement. The application is structured as multiple process components interacting with each other through service interfaces, and multiple service interface operations, each being implemented for a respective process component. The process components include a Project Processing process component; a Purchase Request Processing process component; a Purchase Order Processing process component; a Purchasing Contract process component; a Goods and Service Acknowledgement process component; a Supplier Invoice Processing process component; an RFQ Processing process component that; and a Time and Labor Management process component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: SAP AG
    Inventors: Arthur Berger, Bettina Jaeger, Peter Fitz, Karin Brecht-Tillinger, Arnulf Schueler, Paola Sala, Armin Schwarz, Otfried Von Geisau, Peter J. Neumayer, Matthias Tebbe, Jens Freund, Stefan Kaetker, Gerd Moosmann, Peter Latocha
  • Patent number: 8386291
    Abstract: The invention relates to a triple-deck elevator equipment planning support system, arranged such that the average number of times of being stopped per going-round is calculated on the basis of a given building specification and cage specification data in a triple-deck elevator system; a total value of getting-on/off time periods of passengers, a total value of door-opening/closing time periods, and the total value of running time periods are calculated based on the average number; and a going-round time period of an elevator is calculated from these calculation results, and a practical transportation capacity per on triple-deck elevator is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shiro Hikita
  • Patent number: 8332251
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method is provided for optimizing allocation of resources across stories for a release within an Agile development environment. The method includes receiving (i) resource information representing a plurality of resources available for allocation to the stories, (ii) one or more story definitions, each story definition comprising a unique identifier and one or more story-level constraints corresponding to a story, (iii) release information, (iv) iteration information, and (iv) one or more optimization criteria. The method also includes generating a plurality of story-level allocation scenarios and determining one or more optimized story-level allocation scenarios from the plurality of story-level allocation scenarios. Each story-level allocation scenario satisfies the one or more story-level constraints associated with each story definition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: FMR LLC
    Inventors: Sean Morris, Keith Kroeger, Thomas McGuire, Igor Nikolaev
  • Patent number: 8315899
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for scheduling are disclosed. The apparatus applies tests to microscope slides, where the slides are loaded in trays. Each tray is treated as a batch, and batches may be interleaved to reduce the total running time of testing all slides in up to three batches. The batches of slides have protocols that define the application of reagents such as primary antibodies. The protocols define open times, where no common resources are used, and use times, where common resources are used. The scheduler operates to ensure that the use times between batches does not overlap, without leaving the next step in the protocol for an excessive period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Leica Biosystems Melbourne Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Frank Samuhel, Stuart Lucas, Christopher Bowen
  • Patent number: 8301481
    Abstract: A data processing system for analyzing rejection rejections in a manufacturing process having more than one level of manufacture stores test results from an nth-level test for review by an OEM and, subject to consent of the nth level vendor, for review by a vendor on a lower level. The data for rejection analysis is linked to data in a manufacturing floor control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael A. Boraas, Biao Cai, Jeffrey G. Komatsu, John S. Maresca
  • Patent number: 8296175
    Abstract: A comparison method and system including retrieving by a computer, first data associated with first interactions between users associated with social networks. The computing system generates a first graph illustrating the first interactions. The computing system identifies targeted users associated with a marketing plan for the users. The computing system enables the marketing plan and retrieves second data associated with second interactions between the users. The computing system generates a second graph illustrating the second interactions, compares the second graph to the first graph, and generates a third graph illustrating first order differences between the first interactions and the second interactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kuntal Dey, Natwar Modani, Amit Anil Nanavati, Subramanya Kabbinahithlu Narayana Prasad, Seema Nagar
  • Patent number: 8275643
    Abstract: Defining service ownership for an SOA including defining, in response to an event requiring a change in service ownership and in dependence upon data describing business functions within a business, a service domain; reviewing, by a service domain ownership review board, the defined service domain for approval; upon approval of the defined service domain, identifying potential impact upon currently existing service domains caused by implementation of the defined service domain; identifying a potential owner of the defined service domain in dependence upon a service type of the defined service domain and funding requirements of the service domain; presenting, to relevant stakeholders in the business, the potential owner of the defined service domain for approval; and upon approval of the potential owner of the defined service domain, assigning the potential owner of the defined service domain responsibility for managing the defined service domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William A. Brown, Kerrie L. Holley, Garrison A. Moore, William J. Tegan
  • Patent number: 8244572
    Abstract: A legal process management system facilitates simultaneous dynamic dialogs between legal process managers and networked attorneys and contractors providing services in connection with security interest enforcement actions (SIEAs). The legal process managers submit queries and deadlines selected to timely guide the attorneys and contractors through the requirements of the SIEAs. The attorneys and contractors submit responsive answers revealing the status of their SIEAs. In some embodiments, an events based management system uses a stochastic model to calculate completion times for the milestones of the SIEA, including the “events” that make up subparts of the milestones. This provides a flexible and powerful system for managing prosecution of the SIEA and for predicting likely durations. The stochastic model incorporates the concept of both fixed-frequency events and random-frequency events, and also allows for both controlled events and managed events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: OneDemand.com
    Inventors: Robert J. Jackson, Paul Jackson, Scott Jackson
  • Patent number: 8234137
    Abstract: Projects of any type require sophisticated management software programs. In reality, these management software programs are provided by various vendors and for different professional fields. For example, scheduling programs for construction professionals, blue print programs for drafting professionals, accounting programs for cost-control professionals. In addition, there are numerous other unofficial and official documents generated by managers of different levels for reporting or track-record-keeping purposes using popular word processing programs and spread-sheet programs. Documents generated by different software programs can only be viewed under the programs they are generated under or compatible programs. This poses a problem in that there is a lack of organized control resulting in difficulty in locating and viewing documents in a timely manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Stellar Services
    Inventor: Liang J. Chen
  • Patent number: 8214236
    Abstract: A business wishes to improve its capabilities by developing and sustaining its communities of practice. A business model is provided having components and attributes for various levels of each component. The community is assessed based on the attributes. A community development roadmap is developed of activities for improving the level of the community. Funding is negotiated to carry out the activities, and the community is subsequently reassessed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Deborah Louise Dunagan, Cheryl Diane Jetmund, Louisa Josephine Peluso, Gloria M. Ron-Fornes
  • Patent number: 8175904
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system for assisting in the intermediation of realtime meetings, including telephone calls and face to face meetings. A user informs his system that he wishes to, for example, make a telephone call. The system sends a request for a realtime meeting to the specified target. Both the target and the requester queue the request. When both the requester and the target are mutually available, the realtime meeting can take place. Some embodiments cause this to happen automatically, some prompt the user to take action, such as dialing the telephone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Inventor: Bradley S. Templeton
  • Patent number: 8170901
    Abstract: A user interface for building a componentized workflow model. Each step of the workflow is modeled as an activity that has metadata to describe design time aspects, compile time aspects, and runtime aspects of the workflow step. A user selects and arranges the activities to create the workflow via the user interface. The metadata associated with each of the activities in the workflow is collected to create a persistent representation of the workflow. Users extend the workflow model by authoring custom activities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Dharma K. Shukla, Aditya G. Bhandarkar, Akash J. Sagar, Sergey Chub, Mayank Mehta, Dennis Pilarinos, Eli Hisdai, Abhay Vinayak Parasnis
  • Patent number: 8165906
    Abstract: A Global Resource Staffing Migration Analysis Resource Tool (GR SMART), which automates the global resource solution development process, including automation of global resource migration staffing and non-labor cost elements solution). GR SMART is a software utility executed by a data processing system to generate migration staffing plans and associated non-labor cost elements using minimal amounts of high level account information and baseline staffing models. Using GR SMART, users are able to override all key solution data elements to tailor (or customize) the solution to suit individual account needs. The users are also able to iteratively improve on a previous GR SMART generated solution as additional detail becomes available from the customers during the course of the sales engagement cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jo-Nell Katherine Kehaulani Gerhard, Phillip Tsen, Haris Babu Vakkayil, Alur Vishwanath
  • Patent number: 8140362
    Abstract: A business rule processing system automatically processes dynamic business rules in a content management system, allowing frequent updates to the business rules. The updates can be automatically adapted by the system without restarting the content management system. The system utilizes a stand-alone rule engine. Business logic is encoded as business rule definition files using a platform-independent language; the business rule definition files are stored in a central business rule repository. The business rules are managed and executed by the rules engine; the rules engine provides business rule processing services to other parts of the content management system. The system reduces development and maintenance cost, accelerates the business rule update cycle, and simplifies administration efforts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Prasad Manikarao Deshpande, Savitha Srinivasan
  • Patent number: 8126754
    Abstract: A method for managing manufacturing resources and planning manufacturing activities includes tracking enterprise information detailing business records for an enterprise, the enterprise information including real-time information regarding resources, production, and inventory related to production of a product; communicating with a resource management system storing the enterprise information and multiple affiliated organizations using disparate protocols; translating communications between the protocols to facilitate transfer of data between the resource management system and the affiliated organizations; loading selected portions of the enterprise information into a scaled memory; and generating, in real-time, production plans based on the selected portions of the enterprise information loaded into the scaled memory to affect manufacturing and shipping of goods and materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Glovia International, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuji Nakasu, Quentin Stewart Brearley, Hajime Tamura