Patents Examined by Victoria Vanderhorst
  • Patent number: 8433613
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer readable storage medium to generate more effective sales leads for web sites. When a user clicks a link to open a destination page, both the destination page and an additional window behind the destination page can be generated. When the user closes out the destination page, the user will then notice the additional window. The additional window is typically generated without sound in order to be non-intrusive to the user. Upon a mouse-over by the user of the additional window, the additional window will then begin to play audio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: C and S Net, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven Crim
  • Patent number: 8429008
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method and a system of calculating a sales commission using a transformation coefficient in on-line by reflecting sales of members receiving sales commissions and new sales of sub-members, and a record medium thereof. Members receive sales commissions based on members' own sales, so that old sub-members as well as new members actively sell commodities. The property of the tree to which the members belong is more increased, so that the members have reliability and affection for a company. The revenue of the members is more increased, and a company attempts to increase sales and members. A company determines sales commissions paid to members at a constant commission payment rate for the sales of the members without being affected by the enlargement of an organization due to the increase of the members and the amount of sales.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Inventor: Keun Soo Yun
  • Patent number: 8407087
    Abstract: An online reward exchange system and method of operation, which includes an exchange computer that interoperates via a computer network with user computers, reward point issuer computers, and merchant computers. The merchants' products may be purchased by a user by requesting via a user computer, merchant's point of sale device, or mobile device an issuer(s) to redeem reward points in exchange for payment to the merchant for the product. The exchange computer is the gateway to the system and manages various transactions such as providing online product catalogs to users that list the merchants products, as well as displaying to the user the reward points he has available in his reward programs with the issuers. Once a user selects a desired product the exchange computer can mediate or manage the purchase transaction in which reward points are redeemed by the selected issuer and consideration is conveyed to the merchant in exchange for the merchant providing the product to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Signature Systems, LLC.
    Inventor: Richard Postrel
  • Patent number: 8401900
    Abstract: A computer readable medium is disclosed containing a computer program including but not limited to computer executable instructions that when executed by a computer are useful in performing a method for presenting advertising data, the method including but not limited to sensing current trick-play command data at an end user device; updating trick-play trend data for the end user device based on the current trick-play command data; and adjusting a number of advertising data items in an advertising data buffer presented at the end user device based on the trick-play trend data. A system is disclosed useful for performing the method. A data structure is disclosed for containing data used by the system and method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: James L. Cansler, Charles Scott, Scott White
  • Patent number: 8401903
    Abstract: Systems and methods for dynamically sizing, structuring and operating advertisements that include a variety of content, including interaction prompts and other elements, which enable an engagement-based revenue generation model. According to one embodiment, a computer implemented method comprises storing advertising content, serving an XML file from an advertising server to an advertisement manager in order to control a player on a user computer, dynamically generating the advertisement through the player based on directions from the advertisement manager and the stored content, and tracking and reporting a user's engagement with the advertisement in order to determine compensation for the publisher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Say Media, Inc.
    Inventors: David Ross Lerman, Troy William Young, Matthew Allen Sanchez, Nicholas Sanchez
  • Patent number: 8391449
    Abstract: The invention concerns improvements to telecoms systems. In the proposed method and apparatus, an image (which may have advertising content) is displayed to a caller and a recipient prior to relaying a caller message. This supplementary image may take the place of conventional text such as CALLING. On audio/visual equipment, an audio message may take the place of a ringing tone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Ryou Capital, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Martyn Ian Butterworth
  • Patent number: 8386317
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a full-page video interstitial advertisement. The interstitial advertisement offers advertisers a high quality, full screen video distribution opportunity for a set period of time, such as a 15 second spot, however the duration of the video may vary depending on the content of the video or the configuration of the webpage. A session manager controls the exposure of the interstitial advertisement to the user, to prevent the user from experiencing too frequent interstitial advertisements during a web session. The interstitial advertisement includes a fuse for displaying the playing progress of the video. The use of sound is preferred as part of the interstitial advertisement since it is important for the delivery of the media value of the advertisement. The interstitial advertisement spans the entire web browser screen, overlaid on top of the current web page using a transparency layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Say Media, Inc.
    Inventors: Darrick Brown, David Ross Lerman, Troy William Young, Matthew Allen Sanchez, Nicholas Sanchez
  • Patent number: 8386310
    Abstract: A system is described for measuring web traffic relating to an offline advertising campaign. The system may include a processor and a memory. The memory may be operatively connected to the processor and may store an offline advertising campaign of an advertiser, a time period, a set of users and web traffic data. The processor may identify the offline advertising campaign, and the period of time the offline advertising campaign was available to a set of users. The processor may measure the web traffic related to the offline advertising campaign of the users during the time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Weyer, Robert J. Page, Bassel Ojjeh
  • Patent number: 8370201
    Abstract: A computer readable medium is disclosed containing computer executable instructions that when executed by a computer perform a method, the method including but not limited to receiving trick play command data at an end user device; receiving a advertising data at the end user device; correlating the advertising data with penetration data for an end user associated with the end user device; prioritizing the advertising data for the end user device based on the correlation; and presenting a portion of the advertising data in a picture in picture display window on the end user device based on the prioritizing of the advertising data during execution of the trick play command data. A system is disclosed that is useful in performing the method. A data structure embedded in a computer readable medium is disclosed that contains data used by the system and method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: James L. Cansler, Charles Scott, Scott White
  • Patent number: 8346603
    Abstract: An ecological-point management system includes an electric powered vehicle, a charging facility, a communication network, a management server, point recipients each having a device capable of accessing the communication network. The electric storage device of the electric powered vehicle is configured to be chargeable by the charging facility. In the ecological-point management system, an ecological point in accordance with an amount of greenhouse gas emission that can be reduced by traveling using electric power by the electric powered vehicle is given to the point recipients. The point recipients can include an owner or a driver of the electric powered vehicle, and a manufacture, an installation personnel, an owner of the charging facility, and an owner of an installation place, and further a provider of the charging power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsumi Sakakibara, Yukio Okamura, Kenji Mori, Yutaka Matsumoto, Chitose Shibata, Yoshitaka Asakura, Akihiko Kido, Tetsuhiro Ishikawa, Hiroyuki Yamada, Kiichi Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 8346609
    Abstract: Some embodiments disclosed herein are a method and a system for displaying an advertisement on a web page in which advertisement data displayed on the same web page from among different advertisement data can check mutual existence of the displayed advertisement data, thereby displaying another advertisement data different from the displayed advertisement data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: NHN Business Platform Corporation
    Inventors: Jong Won Lee, Zoo Il Yang, Eun Ja Byun
  • Patent number: 8315905
    Abstract: Two directional data exchange between a mobile navigation system and a listing system enables pricing models and analytics that are responsive to trips initiated in response to location based listings on the navigation system. The data exchange may include information to present the listing to the user, track whether the user elected to begin navigating to the destination based on that listing, intermediate status as the user progresses towards the destination, and an indication that the user arrived at the location. The data may be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the listing in bringing customers to a physical location associated with the listing. The data may be applied in a performance-based pricing model by which pricing for the listing is based in full or in part on the number of trips initiated and/or completed as a result of the listing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Navadi, Inc.
    Inventor: Perry M. Adair
  • Patent number: 8306859
    Abstract: Systems and methods for dynamically sizing, structuring and operating advertisements that include a variety of content, including interaction prompts and other elements, which enable an engagement-based revenue generation model. According to one embodiment, a computer implemented method comprises storing advertising content, serving an XML file from an advertising server to an advertisement manager in order to control a player on a user computer, dynamically generating the advertisement through the player based on directions from the advertisement manager and the stored content, and tracking and reporting a user's engagement with the advertisement in order to determine compensation for the publisher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Say Media, Inc.
    Inventors: David Ross Lerman, Troy William Young, Matthew Allen Sanchez
  • Patent number: 8260664
    Abstract: Advertisements are selected for presentation on search result pages and web pages based on phrases generated from lateral concepts and topics identified for the search result pages and web pages. A search query or an indication of a web page is received for which advertisements are to be provided. Lateral concepts and topics are identified based on the search query or content of the web page. The lateral concepts and topics are used as phrases for selecting advertisements from an advertisement inventory. Selected advertisements are provided for presentation on a search results page in response to a search query or on a web page initially identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Viswanath Vadlamani, Abhinai Srivastava, Tarek Najm, Munirathnam Srikanth, Phani Vaddadi, Arungunram Chandrasekaran Surendran, Rajeev Prasad
  • Patent number: 8249933
    Abstract: An electric storage device of an electric powered vehicle is configured to be chargeable by a charging facility. At the time of external charge by the charging facility, a management server selects advertising information based on information stored inside the electric powered vehicle to be charged and/or information of the charging facility performing the external charge to the electric powered vehicle including a mechanism capable of reproducing the advertising information from an advertising provider, and transmits the selected advertising information. The management server performs billing so that in exchange for the transmission of the advertising information, at least part of a charging power fee is caused to be borne by the advertising provider side to thereby discount an amount borne by an electric powered vehicle user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsumi Sakakibara, Yukio Okamura, Kenji Mori, Yutaka Matsumoto, Chitose Shibata, Yoshitaka Asakura, Akihiko Kido, Tetsuhiro Ishikawa, Hiroyuki Yamada, Kiichi Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 8234167
    Abstract: A system and method for an on-line web-based advertiser-broker to subsidize calls of a plurality of VOIP operators' subscribers by showing them video advertisements from a catalogue of advertisements provided by a plurality of advertisers. The advertisement is shown by the advertiser-broker and then the call is transferred to the VoIP operator for call completion. The advertiser-broker provides the clearing-house services between many advertisers and many VoIP operators, subsidizing wholly or partially phone calls of users of VoIP operators by showing them streaming video advertisements of advertisers who pay for the calls. With this new business, phone calls get monetized through advertisers while users pay nothing for phone calls, and VoIP operators do not need to incorporate advertisers to their business.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Argela Yazilim ve Bilisim Teknolojileri San. ve Tic. A.S.
    Inventors: Seyhan Civanlar, Bulent Kaytaz
  • Patent number: 8200534
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention provides a method. The method includes dynamically allocating a telephone number to an advertisement on a just-in-time basis; and if the telephone number is not called for a predefined period of time, then unallocating the telephone number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: UTBK, Inc.
    Inventors: Daric Wong, Scott Faber, Anuj Agarwal, Nitin Ahuja, Ebbe Altberg, Mark Halstead
  • Patent number: 8190470
    Abstract: Information can be shared across a pre-approved (PA) channel and a non pre-approved (NPA) channel to reduce unnecessary offers of a transactional instrument or transactional instrument upgrade to prospects. All prospects listed in the NPA channel that have been evaluated in the PA channel may be removed from a NPA offeree list. This may be done by matching the NPA prospect list with a list of prospects who have been evaluated in the PA channel. The list of prospects evaluated in the PA channel may include, for example, prospects who were pre-approved for an offer as well as prospects who were considered for a pre-approved offer but who were denied the offer. Prospects in the NPA channel that are removed from the NPA offer list may be dropped from further NPA processing, as such prospects are either unprofitable or do not meet a transactional account company's standards for credit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company
    Inventors: Atul K. Srivastava, Yanyan Guo, Michael A. Vapenik
  • Patent number: 8190474
    Abstract: Systems and methods for dynamically sizing, structuring and operating advertisements that include a variety of content, including interaction prompts and other elements, which enable an engagement-based revenue generation model. According to one embodiment, a computer implemented method comprises storing advertising content, serving an XML file from an advertising server to an advertisement manager in order to control a player on a user computer, dynamically generating the advertisement through the player based on directions from the advertisement manager and the stored content, and tracking and reporting a user's engagement with the advertisement in order to determine compensation for the publisher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: SAY Media, Inc.
    Inventors: David Ross Lerman, Troy William Young, Matthew Allen Sanchez
  • Patent number: 8185437
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to provide user interfaces dynamically customized according to partners through which the user interfaces are accessed in a customer acquisition process. One embodiment includes providing to a plurality of entities a platform, configured to assign references for embedding in listings for presentation and configured to connect people for real time communications according to the references embedded in the listings, the references to be used to request the platform to provide the connections; responsive to a request received via a first entity of the plurality of entities, presenting a user interface of the platform in a first format to identify the first entity; and responsive to a request received via a second entity of the plurality of entities, presenting the user interface of the platform in a second format to identify the second entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: UTBK, Inc.
    Inventors: Ebbe Altberg, Scott Faber, Ron Hirson, Sean Van Der Linden, Paul G. Manca