Patents Examined by Robert Niquette
  • Patent number: 8930250
    Abstract: A system and method for performing a diagnostic evaluation of an investment portfolio by categorizing the assets in the portfolio, establishing thresholds for each category and identifying assets that are not in compliance with the established thresholds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Edward Jones & Co.
    Inventors: William Elliott Fiala, Matthew James Mikula
  • Patent number: 8924295
    Abstract: Credit card transaction servers, systems, methods and computer program products receive information concerning a prospective credit card transaction with one of multiple credit card issuers and obtain location information from multiple wireless network providers for wireless terminal(s) that are associated with a user of the credit card for the prospective credit card transaction. The locations of the credit card transaction terminal(s) and the locations of the wireless terminal(s) are correlated, and authorization information for the prospective credit card transaction is generated based upon this location correlation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Jeffrey A. Aaron, John P. Ruckart
  • Patent number: 8924296
    Abstract: A system for securing a trusted communications channel for a mobile financial transaction is provided by receiving, from a user via an external terminal, a request for an access control entitlement to complete a financial transaction. A total risk level associated with the financial transaction is computed. A required trust score is determined based on the total risk level. User identification data associated with the user is received from one or more data sources. The user identification data is validated. A user trust score associated with the user is computed based on the validated identification data. The user trust score is compared to the required trust score. The access control entitlement is transmitted to the user via the external terminal if the user trust score is greater than or equal to the required trust score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Samuel A. Bailey, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8918328
    Abstract: A system for and method for ranking results. The system includes a server configured to receive a query and an advertisement engine configured to receive the query from the server. The advertisement engine ranks advertisements based on various features, including at least one word overlap feature and a correlation feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Vassilis Plachouras, Vanessa Murdock, Massimiliano Ciaramita
  • Patent number: 8799148
    Abstract: Prescreened credit card offers, such as offers for credit cards that a particular potential borrower is likely to be granted upon completion of a full application, are ranked based on expected values of respective prescreened offers. The expected value of a prescreened credit card offer may represent an expected monetary value to one or more referrers involved in providing the prescreened offer to the borrower. Thus, the referrer may present a highest ranked credit card offer to a potential borrower first in order to increase the likelihood that borrower applies for the credit card offer with the highest expected value to the referrer. Depending on the embodiment, the expected value of a credit card offer may be based on a combination of a bounty associated with the offer, a click-through-rate for the offer, and/or a conversion rate for the offer, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Inventor: Rohan K. K. Chandran
  • Patent number: 8799025
    Abstract: According to some embodiments, workers' compensation claims are received at a payor processing system from a plurality of remote bill input devices. The workers' compensation claims may be transformed in accordance with a jurisdiction-based claims processing rule. The transformed workers' compensation claims may then be transmitted to a workers' compensation adjudication engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company
    Inventors: Anthony C. Ruszala, Steven A. Hatch
  • Patent number: 8799029
    Abstract: An advanced underwriting and risk evaluation system leverages data from utility based metering devices and other IP addressable devices, and machines to provide real time operational and usage data. The data is used by an insurance entity to modify and adjust insurance coverages and premiums in the case of certain usage exceptions and conditions in view of an underlying policy coverage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company
    Inventor: Rohit S. Bodas
  • Patent number: 8788411
    Abstract: A method for making a payment using a RFID system includes associating a first RFID identifier with a payer account in a database. A purchase type and an associated spending gate definition are received for the first RFID identifier over the network. The spending gate definition is associated with at least one of a plurality of funding sources of the payer account. The purchase type and associated spending gate definition are associated with the first RFID identifier in the database. A payment request is received for a purchase using the first RFID identifier over the network. It is determined that that the payment request includes the purchase type in the database. A payment is made using the at least one funding source of the payer account according to the spending gate definition associated with the purchase type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: eBay Inc.
    Inventors: Frank Anthony Nuzzi, Darrin Brook Giesy
  • Patent number: 8788413
    Abstract: The present application relates to a system and method for managing a plurality of accounts. A plurality of accounts is provided, with each account being associated with a customer. Account activity information associated with at least one action regarding one of the plurality of accounts is received at a first predetermined frequency. The received account activity information is analyzed, and at least one term of another account amongst the plurality of accounts is modified based upon a result of the analysis at a second predetermined frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Capital One Financial Corporation
    Inventors: Jeremy Keith Rabson, Scott David Grimes
  • Patent number: 8768812
    Abstract: A system is provided that includes a plurality of modules. The system includes modules configured to determine a present value distribution of contingent positive utility attributable to commitment resources to an asset at a subsequent time, and a present value of a contingent negative utility required to make the resource commitment or deviate from a resource commitment to a known alternative asset. The modules are configured to determine the distribution of contingent positive utility based upon first parameters that reflect risk in the positive utility, and determine the contingent negative utility based upon second parameters that reflect risk in the negative utility. The system also includes a module configured to determine a value of an option to commit the resources based on the distribution of contingent positive utility and the contingent negative utility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Scott H. Mathews, Jacomo Corbo
  • Patent number: 8768842
    Abstract: In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a control logic to selectively audit transactions between the apparatus and a separate entity based on a type for the transactions. The apparatus also includes an encryption logic to encrypt an audit log that includes at least one attribute of one of the selectively audited transactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Selim Aissi
  • Patent number: 8762258
    Abstract: Methods and computer storage media provide for evaluating the market value of items. A product specification data set identifies an item defined by two or more parameters, or items that differ in accordance with at least one parameter. For at least one item, transaction data sets that include previously-exposed transaction data between buyers and sellers are obtained. The transaction data represents market reference price data of a particular period of time. The market reference price data is adapted by applying one or more pre-defined rules, variables, or criteria operably associated with the item, a parameter of the item, and/or the one or more databases, to the market reference price data, transforming the transaction data sets into normalized market price data sets that are used to calculate a market value for the item, and communicate the market value to an output. In additional embodiments, price data sets are received and evaluated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: BuyMetrics, Inc.
    Inventor: Valerie Hansen
  • Patent number: 8762266
    Abstract: Systems, mechanisms and processes are provided to allow law-enforcement officials, when encountering the potential use of prepaid payment cards in the furtherance of a crime or in relation to criminal activities, to (1) attempt to check the balances on such prepaid payment cards, including the ability to perform aggregate balance checks on a group of such prepaid cards, (2) attempt to freeze the funds on such prepaid payment cards, and/or (3) attempt to seize the funds on such prepaid payment cards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Vantiv, LLC
    Inventors: Patrick James Moran, Nancy Joann Vance, Michele Suzanne Herron, Thomas Edward Rafferty
  • Patent number: 8762282
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for transferring encrypted useful data objects (NDO) to a first telecommunication terminal (TG1), wherein at least one encrypted useful data object is initially transferred from a switching component to the first telecommunication terminal. Time information (SABS) is transferred from the switching component to the first telecommunication terminal indicating up to which moment in time a rights object (RO) associated with the at least one encrypted useful data object will arrive. Once the rights object received by the first telecommunication terminal, the telecommunication terminal checks if the moment in time indicated in the time information has elapsed. If the moment has not elapsed, the first telecommunication terminal issues a signal relating to the receipt of a useful data object via a user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Oliver Meyer, Andreas Schmidt, Markus Trauberg
  • Patent number: 8762240
    Abstract: An electronic value exchange system which includes first and second terminals (1d), (1e) which at least execute electronic value exchange with each other, and an authentication device (110), each of the first and second terminals has a value storage unit (13) which stores the electronic value; an exchange contract data storage unit (17) which stores exchange contract data representing contents of the electronic value exchange; an exchange state storage unit (16) which represents a state of the electronic value exchange; a commit order storage unit (14) which stores a commit order which indicates that which of the first terminal and the second terminal is the first to execute; an identification information storage unit (15) which stores identification information assigned to every process of transmission/reception of the exchange contract data; and a first exchange execution unit (12) which executes transmission/reception of the exchange contract data with respect to each of the first and second terminals and
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Takushi Sogo, Yuichi Koike
  • Patent number: 8738502
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to electronic trading systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for providing, within an electronic trading process, real-time or near real-time pre- and post-trade analytics to assist traders make the decision of how to trade electronically a particular tradeable asset. Pre- and post-trade analytics can be displayed to a trader without affecting their workflow. Moreover, pre- and post-trade analytics can be used to make trading recommendations, to select or modify a trading strategy, to select and or modify trading destinations, brokers, algorithms or venues, and/or to automatically generate and transmit electronic trade orders or to effect trades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: ITG Software Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Domowitz, Sabitha Arputham, Brian Kiernan, Kevin O'Connor
  • Patent number: 8738500
    Abstract: A method, a system, and a computer-readable medium for soliciting a customer using an interactive computer-readable medium are enclosed. A method, a system, and a computer-readable medium for fostering interactions between a customer and a financial institution are enclosed. A computer-readable medium is enclosed. A method, a system and a computer-readable medium for soliciting a customer using a computer-readable medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Associates (USAA)
    Inventor: Jill E. Finnie
  • Patent number: 8731975
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed herein for maintaining an inventory of assets located at an insured property covered under an insurance policy based on data received from IP-addressable devices located at the property. The system includes an inventory database for storing inventory information about assets located at an insured property, a communication interface for receiving registration and operational data associated with an IP-addressable device, and a business logic computer. The business logic computer creates a data structure for storing inventory information about assets located at the insured property in the inventory database for each insured property. The business logic computer determines, for the insured property, the inventory information about the insured property's assets based on registration and operational data received from its IP-addressable devices located at the property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company
    Inventors: Gary Charles English, George K. Popadin, Nicholas A. Zandes
  • Patent number: 8725612
    Abstract: A personalized real-time location-based travel management method, the method including the steps of (a) defining a departure point and a destination for multimodal travel, (b) computing in an IT system (30) a list of candidate routes between said departure point and said destination, based on schedule information available to said IT system; (c) making travel information relating to a selected route available to a user's personal travel assistant (40) or a database (31) while traveling; and (d) detecting in said IT system an unexpected event during said travel, and computing an alternative list of candidate routes or routes segments in response to said unexpected event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Routerank Ltd.
    Inventors: Jochen Mundinger, Markus Waibel
  • Patent number: 8719296
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention include tools for extracting data of interest from the world wide web (WWW). The extraction is accomplished using descriptions of data of interest. The descriptions of data of interest can include computer programs comprising a sequence of instructions and extractor patterns. The extractor patterns can be developed interactively using a web browser integrated into the graphical development environment for creating the descriptions of data of interest. The instructions can be selected from a predetermined list of instructions designed for extracting information from the WWW. The descriptions of data of interest can be grouped into categories sharing common query elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: CBS Interactive Inc.
    Inventors: Yeogirl Yun, Brad Park