Patents Examined by Kirsten Apple
  • Patent number: 8843406
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for improving word-of-mouth online advertising are provided. Construct a social network including multiple users based on the users' social network data and optionally further based on the users' demographical and/or other personal information. Categorize the users in the social network with respect to a type of product in terms of their propensity to adopt the type of product and to influence others in the social network in adopting the type of product. Determine appropriate content object(s) for each category of users, and send the content object(s) to each category of users via different channels at the appropriate time during the product's lifecycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Brandy Lee Aven, David Anthony Burgess, Jonathan Frank Haynes, James Raymond Merino, Paul Cameron Moore
  • Patent number: 8838489
    Abstract: A method of providing fixed computer-displayable content in response to a consumer request for content is presented. Upon obtaining a digital image corresponding to the requested content, an advertisement is selected. The advertisement is to be included in an on-demand electronic content corresponding to the requested content. The advertisement is included with the digital image corresponding to the requested content. A fixed computer-displayable content corresponding to the requested content is generated. The fixed computer-displayable content is then provided to the consumer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Hanning Zhou, Jian Liang, Sherif M. Yacoub
  • Patent number: 8831976
    Abstract: System and method that utilizes a participant's points and a single use, virtual credit card account to implement a cash purchase with a cash vendor. The virtual credit card is active for a single purchase only with an available credit equal to the total of the cash purchase price and any fees. The virtual credit card may further be active for a limited period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Maritz Holdings Inc.
    Inventors: Sven Sprogoe, Richard M. Philipak, Jeffrey D. Wagner
  • Patent number: 8812389
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a system and method for dividing assets in an estate. First, the assets of the estate are populated in a catalog. A survey is distributed to all parties to gain pertinent information relating to their interests in the estate. The system will incorporate the party's intent when determining a course of action for division of assets. The system will gather the party's interest in items, establish an agreed monetary value for all items, receive bids for items based on emotional interest, offer parties the opportunity to bid on items with real currency, and finally divide remaining assets by means of selection. The parties will have the opportunity to barter their items with each other. If a party has received more than their fair share of the estate, they must pay the balance to the estate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Inventor: David MacMahan
  • Patent number: 8812394
    Abstract: A cash recycler or other currency handling device includes a flexible capacity module for adding additional storage capacity to the cash handling device. In some arrangements, all bills of one denomination, i.e., all one dollar bills, may be stored in, deposited into, and/or dispensed from the flexible capacity module. The bills stored in the flexible capacity module may not be debited or credited to a client account at a financial institution because the bills may not be considered part of the inventory of the cash handling device. However count data for the bills in the flexible capacity module may be integrated with data from the cash handling device in order to facilitate balancing, reconciliation, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: Amy Baker Folk, Daniel Christopher Bohen
  • Patent number: 8805731
    Abstract: A network based construction project management system. The system includes network accessible databases of project information including drawings and specifications. The system allows for varying amount of access for various user including general contractors, subcontractors, architects and project owners. The system allows for the effective creation, management and long term accessible storage of project submittals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Inventor: Elbert Harris
  • Patent number: 8799150
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for scoring consumers' credit risk by determining consumers' income risk and future ability to pay. Methods are provided for measuring consumers' income risk by analyzing consumers' income loss risk, income reduction risk, probability of continuance of income, and economy's impact on consumers' income. In one embodiment, a method is provided to evaluate an individual's creditworthiness using income risk based credit score thereby providing creditors, lenders, marketers, and companies with deeper, new insights into consumer's credit risk and repayment potential. By predicting consumers' income risk and the associated creditworthiness the present invention increases the accuracy and reliability of consumers' credit risk assessments, results in more predictive and precise consumer credit scoring, and offers a new method of rendering a forward-looking appraisal of an individual's ability to repay a debt or the ability to pay for products and services.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Scorelogix LLC
    Inventor: Suresh Kumar Annappindi
  • Patent number: 8799127
    Abstract: A data processing system for analyzing and reporting payoff quotes for mortgage loans is provided. The system provides several user interfaces: e.g., an interface through which lenders may enter lender payment information, an interface through which an analyst may enter payment quotes, and an interface through which lenders and/or analysts may compare the other prepayment information with prepayment payment quotes provided by the system. Any of the interfaces may be supported via a network. A database of all payoff quotes, lender payment information and any lender decisions regarding the same is maintained by the system for future reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Fannie Mae
    Inventors: Theodore T. Blair, Tracy W. Dunsdon, Douglas G. Higgs, Rajaram Prasannan, Craig M. Rivers
  • Patent number: 8799151
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for offering transaction account consumers with payment term options to pay a minimum amount due early, defer payment into the following payment cycle, and pay a standard amount when due. When generating a periodic billing statement, the invention determines a consumer's eligibility to elect early payment, deferred payment, and regular payment. When a consumer is eligible for early payment, a received payment is compared to a discount rate tier, then a discount amount is calculated and credited to the consumer's account. When the consumer is eligible for deferred payment, the system calculates a new current minimum payment due by multiplying the current non-deferred balance by a predetermined percentage amount and adding the result to the deferred balance. When the consumer is not eligible for deferred payment, the system calculates a new current minimum due by summing the current non-deferred balance with the deferred balance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Ang, Boudhayan Choudhuri, Jessica Kaplan, David Lowy, Gyanesh Narayan, Eric Nielsen, Christine Vega
  • Patent number: 8788382
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for automatically migrating a consumer from one prepaid financial account to another prepaid financial account based on preset trigger criteria. A prepaid payment device, such as a payroll card, may be issued to the consumer and associated with a prepaid financial account. The prepaid financial account may include a profile for the consumer. The issuer of the prepaid payment device may monitor the account activity and set trigger criteria that control when the consumer is automatically migrated from the current prepaid financial account and which type of new account the consumer is migrated into.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Justin T. Monk
  • Patent number: 8788380
    Abstract: Methods and systems for administering consumable compositions according to a programmed dosing schedule are provided. A method for administering a consumable composition may comprise one or more of the following steps: (a) dispensing a dose of a consumable composition according to a programmed dosing schedule; and (b) detecting an aspect of the consumable composition. A system for administering a consumable composition may comprise: (a) means for dispensing a dose of a consumable composition according to a programmed dosing schedule; and (b) means for detecting an aspect of the consumable composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, LLC
    Inventors: Roderick A. Hyde, Eric D. Leuthardt, Robert W. Lord, Clarence T. Tegreene, Lovell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8788383
    Abstract: A computer implemented data processing system and method processes data associated with a deferred variable annuity contract during the accumulation phase for a relevant life. The data includes a payment base value, a contract value, a withdrawal percent and a formula for determining an available benefit payment amount without reduction of the payment base value. The formula includes as factors the payment base value, the withdrawal percent, and an adjustment factor dependent on a period of deferral from a time a benefit payment withdrawal was first available until a first benefit payment withdrawal request and a period of time since the first benefit payment withdrawal request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company
    Inventor: Keith E Golembiewski
  • Patent number: 8781955
    Abstract: A computer implemented method and system for providing financial services are described. The system and method include determining an account balance for a financial account. If the account balance is negative, notice of the negative balance is sent to the account holder in real time. After a predetermined period of time or grace period, and/or by a predetermined end time or cut-off date or time, it is determined whether the negative balance was cured. If the negative balance was not cured during the grace period, an overdraft fee is assessed to the financial account. If the negative balance was cured during the grace period, any assessed overdraft fee for the negative balance is rebated or reversed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Huntington Bane Shares Incorporated
    Inventors: David Schamer, Lee Lemke, Jeff Kastelic
  • Patent number: 8781951
    Abstract: Methods for financing dealer debt instruments for customers of a dealer are disclosed. One method, among others, an underwriter system that finances a dealer debt instrument based upon at least one of customer information, product information, and transaction information for the dealer debt instrument. The underwriter system may calculate an initial purchase offer, and then adjust the initial purchase offer based at least upon at least one of product information and transaction information. In some situations, the underwriter system may provide a dealer with multiple purchase offers for one debt instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: CCIP Corp.
    Inventors: Mark K. Lewis, Ricky Loftsgard, Kasra Naderi, Richard C. Potter
  • Patent number: 8781946
    Abstract: An electronic trading method is provided. The method includes receiving a trading strategy order having a parent trading strategy including multiple quoting legs; splitting the trading strategy order into multiple child orders; and submitting each of the multiple child orders to exchange systems adapted to fill the quoting legs in the child orders. Each child order includes a child trading strategy having a single quoting leg or a reduced number of quoting legs relative to the parent trading strategy. The child trading strategies are the same as the parent trading strategy except for the number of legs marked as quoting legs. The method may be performed by a trading strategy device disposed between a client device and multiple server side devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Trading Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventors: Sagy Pundak Mintz, Michael J. Burns
  • Patent number: 8762272
    Abstract: An email payment system and method to provide users with the ability to initiate and send payments to one more recipients via email messaging. A user interface is provided in an email client that allows a user to insert payment with the email. Payment details are collected through one or more payment modals displayed in the email client. A payment object is inserted into the body of the email and is displayed to both the sender and recipient. The payment details captured in the payment object are communicated to a payment processor. The payment processor uses electronic payment accounts associated with the corresponding sender and recipient email addresses to identify the relevant electronic payment accounts and transfer the payment between said accounts. A status of the payment transaction is tracked and displayed within the payment object of the emails residing in both the sender and recipient email client.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Narelle Cozens, Michael DePasquale, Travis Harrison Kroll Green, Boris Mizhen, Peter Schmitt
  • Patent number: 8762242
    Abstract: A method and system for pooling computing resources is provided. In an embodiment a system comprises a plurality of quotation servers connected to a quotation engine. The quotation is also connected to a clearing server. The quotation engine receives data representing quotations from different servers. The quotation engine also receives data representing actual trades from the clearing server. The quotation engine is configured to perform operations on the quotations and the actual trades in a fashion that deletes certain quotations to reduce consumption of computing resources on the quotation engine and thereby increase efficiency of processing of the quotes to arrive at a final quotation. The system also relieves processing burden on the quotation servers by shifting the processing to the quotation engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: FTSE TMX Global Debt Capital Markets Inc.
    Inventor: John George Bruce McLean
  • Patent number: 8756136
    Abstract: The present invention relates to synthetic funds for purchase by investors. A structured note is structured to provide customized equity returns/exposure. Terms of each structured note may be specified by the purchaser and the structured notes may be unsecured liabilities of the obligor, e.g., there are no underlying assets upon which the structure note is based. Thus, there will be no limits on the use of structured note proceeds and management of assets and liabilities will be left entirely to the obligor's discretion. Structured note payment obligations may be related to the performance of an objective valuation, but structured note holders will depend on the good credit of the obligor for payment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
    Inventor: Peter C. Freund
  • Patent number: 8756133
    Abstract: A computer system for processing data relating to a deferred variable annuity contract during the accumulation phase includes a data storage device storing data relating to the deferred variable annuity contract, including a payment base value, a contract value, a withdrawal percent, a birth date of a relevant life, and a formula for determining, based on the withdrawal percent and a withdrawal base value, an available periodic benefit payment amount that does not decrease the payment base; and a processor. The processor is configured to determine a withdrawal percent applicable to a date, based on whether the date is prior to a date of a selected birthday of the relevant life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company
    Inventors: Charles D. Tatro, Joseph M. Weiss
  • Patent number: 8756082
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed that allow an insurance company to provide awards to its agents in a manner that encourages the agents to purchase goods and services that will assist the agents in growing, branding, and/or managing his or her business. Computer systems are programmed with computer-executable instructions to determine an allocation of funds to be granted to an agent and to limit the use of the funds to goods and services identified as assisting the agent in the growth, branding, or management of his or her business.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company
    Inventors: Mark Madeyski, Thomas Purtell