Patents Examined by Rob Pond
  • Patent number: 8571946
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to techniques for creating an export file comprised of product codes retrieved from a Vendor Website. A search of the Vendor Website is conducted based on a keyword list created by a registered affiliate and product codes are acquired including graphic data and descriptive text for products obtained in the search. A unique identification code is inserted into the product codes, which are stored in a products database and displayed along with manually activatable editing buttons which allow the registered affiliate to edit the products database. The edited products database forms the export file to be used in creating and/or updating an affiliate website.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Inventors: David Greaves, Thomas Creaven
  • Patent number: 8571947
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to techniques for retrieving a large number of product codes from one or more Vendor Websites. A search of a Vendor Website is conducted based on a keyword list created by a registered affiliate and product codes are acquired including graphic data and descriptive text for products obtained in the search. A unique identification code is inserted into the product codes, which are stored in a products database and displayed along with manually activatable editing buttons which allow the registered affiliate to edit the products database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Inventors: David Greaves, Thomas Creaven
  • Patent number: 8566170
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of systems, methods, and computer programs that facilitate reducing purchase hesitance. At least one product offered by a seller at an initial price is displayed to a buyer. Activity of the buyer throughout an electronic commerce system is tracked. Purchase hesitance in the activity is identified. A concession is offered to the buyer by the seller to provide incentive to the buyer to purchase the product within the electronic commerce system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: B. Anthony Joseph, Matthew K. Green
  • Patent number: 8566171
    Abstract: A system, sometimes called ShakyPlanet™ presents a collection of interactive digital objects, one of which is sometimes called ShakyGlobe™. The presented digital objects may be part of a series of eCollectibles™. A specialized and centralized communication and database system, sometimes called ShakyStore™ offers the sale of objects to buyers qualifying on the basis of various variables, such as being within a predefined geographic area or issuing a purchase request within a predefined time period. Additional conditions to purchase may include a willingness to pay more than standard established costs, purchasing before all units are sold and submission to the terms of sale that facilitate the collectable attributes of the objects. Each object is uniquely marked to identify its owner by registration with the communication and database system, which is the sole authority for the transfer ownership of the objects, the recording of ownership changes and for the authentication of the objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Inventors: Michal Anne Rogondino, Jeffrey Hokit
  • Patent number: 8560464
    Abstract: A method and system to accept user input into one or a plurality of graphical user interface screens or layouts to generate prices for one or a plurality of actions upon achievement of one or a plurality of trigger values or thresholds within one or a plurality of data sources linked to a data supply chain or a federated data source. The one or plurality of graphical user interfaces enable a user to select link and associate operators with data objects in order to build formulae that include mathematical and logical operations for calculating values to be compared with conditions and thresholds for triggering actions or events by the one or a plurality of servers upon the one or a plurality of data sources and to calculate and store the configuration of the schema for cumulative prices or terms or conditions for implementation of such actions by the one or a plurality of servers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Inventors: Stanley Smith, Joseph Tate, Adam Chasen
  • Patent number: 8543457
    Abstract: A method of collecting data from pages viewed by a user of at least one web site, comprises receiving from at least one activity message reporter a plurality of access reports wherein an access report includes content from at least one web page of the at least one web site. Thereafter the method accumulates the received access reports, and formats content from the received access reports in accordance with a document template.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: STB Enterprises, LLC
    Inventors: William E. Staib, Dean Scott Blodgett
  • Patent number: 8543463
    Abstract: A method and associated system is provided for providing an interactive checklist and collaborative shopping session. The method includes displaying desired items on an interactive checklist. A primary user may designate which users can view specific items and should purchase specific items. The method also includes the option for the primary user to send an email to a secondary user with information, extracted from a checklist or registry, with a wish list of items that the recipient can buy with a click to a shopping cart. The primary user may also initiate a real-time or static collaborative shopping session where multiple users can suggest, comment on and purchase items. The primary user may “return” a gift item before the item is shipped and receive credit or cash.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: ZInc.
    Inventors: Dennis Louis Zakas, Kevin Martin Hayes, Tamara Peress Watkins
  • Patent number: 8533126
    Abstract: Techniques are described for automatically and dynamically determining how to handle items being returned from customers while the items are in transit. Various factors may be considered to determine appropriate item return handling, including by assessing current conditions at the time of the determination. In addition, the dynamic item return handling may include selecting one of various potential return destinations for each item being returned and one of various types of return routing for the return. In some situations, the item return handling is performed for an item being returned from a customer while the item is at an intermediate shipping location, such as a selected location to which the customer was directed to send the item. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Felix F. Antony, Donald Kaufman, Weiling Yang, Jeffrey D. Evarts
  • Patent number: 8527364
    Abstract: A system and method for ordering a print of a digitally represented still image on a calendar using a remote computer is provided. The system includes a remote computer connected to a photofinisher through a network. A computer readable medium is located on the photofinisher and has computer-executable instructions for performing the method that includes selecting an image using the remote computer and displaying the image in an image tray pane. A calendar workspace pane includes separate calendar image windows associated with each of the calendar pages. One of the images displayed in the image tray pane is associated with one or more of the calendar image windows. A calendar print order data file is established, which includes the association of the selected image with one or more of the calendar image windows. The computer-executable instructions are in HTML and JavaScript.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM North America Corporation
    Inventors: Ryan Moore, Jonathan Nick, Mike Anello
  • Patent number: 8521617
    Abstract: Computer-implemented systems and methods for automatically creating a second customized product design incorporating information from a first customized product design. Information from a first custom product design is automatically combined with additional automatically selected content to create a new custom product to be promoted to the customer. When possible, information known about the customer, such as the customer's geographic location or business interests, is used to select the additional content for incorporation into the design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Vistaprint Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Brian D. Hanechak, Robert L. Dulaney
  • Patent number: 8521602
    Abstract: A system and a method of global electronic market of educational services in the Internet are provided. The method of operating a global electronic market of educational services for consumers of educational services and educational establishments via the Internet includes registering the consumers of educational services and the educational establishments; providing information regarding offers of the consumers of educational services and the educational establishments to the registered consumers of educational services and educational establishments accordingly; selecting partners in the market of educational services based on the provided information; holding competitions for student's vacancies; conducting contracts between consumers of educational services and educational establishments; providing additional services of the system of global electronic market of educational services.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Inventor: Valentina Pulnikova
  • Patent number: 8515832
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for social shopping on a network-based marketplace. Specifically, the method receives a request, over a network, from a user in a community of users. The request is for an activity associated with a first network-based marketplace. The first network-based marketplace is used by the community of users to transact items of a single domain that is of interest to the community of users. The method updates a reputation score based on a user reputation score for the user. Finally, the method updates the user reputation score based on the reputation score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: eBay Inc.
    Inventor: Neelakantan Sundaresan
  • Patent number: 8515674
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for collecting and using user-contributed map data. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided for collecting maneuver-specific annotations. According to the method, a user is presented with a set of computer-generated driving directions comprising a plurality of maneuvers. In association with presenting to the user the set of driving directions, the method presents to the user an option to submit an annotation for one of the plurality of maneuvers. In response to presenting the option to the user, the annotation is received from the user and stored in association with an identification of the one of the plurality of maneuvers. The stored annotation may be incorporated in the set of computer-generated driving directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Mapquest, Inc.
    Inventor: Joshua J. Babetski
  • Patent number: 8510176
    Abstract: A business method that enables a user or owner of one or a plurality of data sources to set fees or other consideration(s) for exchanges and links to a second or a plurality of data sources discovered through Internet searches or other data source discovery methods and integrating the data or the data sources into a data supply chain or federated data source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Inventor: Stanley Benjamin Smith
  • Patent number: 8504433
    Abstract: A transaction fee imposed by a payment provider may be allocated between the parties to an on-line transaction in any way and at any time. This adds flexibility to the transaction and allows the parties to allocate the transaction fee on a per transaction basis that best suits the parties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: eBay Inc.
    Inventors: Srinivas Vadhri, Jennifer Ceran
  • Patent number: 8494921
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and products facilitate electronic purchases. An electronic shopping cart is received at a server associated with a first merchant. The electronic shopping cart is inspected for an item selected for purchase from a different merchant. If the first merchant can offer better terms for the item, the server sends a recommendation to a customer to remove the item from the electronic shopping cart and to add a substitute item offered by the first merchant. If the customer approves, then the server replaces the item in the electronic shopping cart with the substitute item associated with the first merchant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Barrett Morris Kreiner, Ronald Perrella
  • Patent number: 8494920
    Abstract: A method for retrieving product codes from a Vendor Website over a network and inserting the product codes into an Affiliate Website. A search of the Vendor Website is conducted based on a keyword list created by a registered affiliate and product codes are acquired including graphic data and descriptive text for products obtained in the search. A unique identification code is inserted into the product codes, which are stored in a products database and displayed along with manually activatable editing buttons which allow the registered affiliate to edit the products database. The products database is uploaded to a server to serve the products database along with the Affiliate Website so that viewers of the Affiliate Website can purchase the products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Inventors: David Greaves, Thomas Creaven
  • Patent number: 8463537
    Abstract: A method of navigating to a destination is provided. The method includes but is not limited to determining a target course for a moving target device using target positioning data and generating an intercept course using the target course and intercept positioning data received from an intercept device. The intercept course intersects the target course at a destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay J. Mueller, Matthew D. Smith
  • Patent number: 8442872
    Abstract: A system and method for providing financial account messages to customers while accessing web sites is disclosed. Methods, systems and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention enable a financial account issuer to provide an application to customer's computer system over a network. The application may be configured to provide various messages associated with the customer's financial account provided by the financial account issuer while the customer browses web sites. The financial account messages may be configured to provide interactive and dynamically changing account status information based on attempted purchases of goods and/or services by the customer at merchants' web sites. The application may also be configured to provide rating information associated with web sites accessed by the customer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Capital One Financial Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan Turner, Arthur Koeppel
  • Patent number: 8423427
    Abstract: Provided is a method of delivering an audio and/or visual media file comprising, without limitation, for example, one or more of full or partial master recordings of songs, musical compositions, ringtones, videos, films, television shows, personal recordings, animation and combinations thereof, over the air wirelessly, from one or more servers to an electronic device with or without an Internet connection, said method comprising transmitting and audio and/or visual media file in compressed format to said electronic device, and wherein the electronic device is effective to receive said audio and/or visual file and playback said audio and/or visual content on demand by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Inventors: John Mikkelsen, Robert Freidson