Patents by Inventor Christopher W. Higgins

Christopher W. Higgins has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20090204354
    Abstract: A system and method is described herein for managing power consumption by a plurality of sensors in a proximity-based ad hoc network. The system and method receives sensor data that is provided from a plurality of sensors and constructs a proximity-based ad hoc network among the plurality of sensors based on the sensor data. The system and method also receives and analyzes power status information from each sensor in a group of spatially and temporally proximate sensors in the proximity-based ad hoc network. Based on the analysis, the system and method then modifies a manner in which at least one sensor in the group provides sensor data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Marc E. Davis, Joseph O'Sullivan, Christopher Paretti, Christopher W. Higgins
  • Publication number: 20090201896
    Abstract: A system and method is described for constructing a proximity-based ad hoc network among a plurality of sensor-enabled devices and for using such a network to facilitate data sharing among users of those devices (referred to herein for simplicity as “sensors”). The system and method advantageously enables data to be shared among co-located sensors in a manner that does not require local connections or communication among those sensors and that protects user privacy. The system and method also beneficially enables data to be transferred among heterogeneous sensor types that would otherwise be incapable of detecting and/or communicating with each other. The system and method may perform user-initiated data transfer as well as automatic data transfer responsive to sensor proximity and other factors, such as commonality of user interests or activities or membership in a social network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Applicant: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventors: Marc E. Davis, Rahul Nair, Ori Zaltzman, Joseph O'Sullivan, Christopher Paretti, Christopher W. Higgins
  • Publication number: 20090204348
    Abstract: A system and method is described herein for managing power consumption by a plurality of sensors in a proximity-based ad hoc network. The system and method receives sensor data that is provided from a plurality of sensors and constructs a proximity-based ad hoc network among the plurality of sensors based on the sensor data. The system and method also receives and analyzes power status information from each sensor in a group of spatially and temporally proximate sensors in the proximity-based ad hoc network. Based on the analysis, the system and method then modifies a manner in which at least one sensor in the group provides sensor data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Applicant: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventors: Marc E. Davis, Joseph O'Sullivan, Christopher Paretti, Christopher W. Higgins, Ori Zaltzman
  • Publication number: 20090176509
    Abstract: Apparatus, interfaces, and computer instructions are provided for establishing an association between a user and a declared interest, such as a brand or some other subject, and for generating a map to display the interests of one or more users. An association is established between an interest identifier, a user, and target object selected based upon an action of the user. The target object may include a location that may be specified by coordinates. The action may include selection of the at least one location by the user. Selection may include selecting a user interface feature that causes the at least one location to be selected based upon a geographical position of the user. The position may be determined by a Global Positioning System device carried by the user. Techniques are also disclosed for identifying people who are potentially interested in a given interest, or in a second interest related to a first interest, based on previously established interest-location-user associations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2008
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Inventors: Marc E. Davis, Christopher W. Higgins, Joseph O'Sullivan, Athellina Athsani, Christopher S. Jaffe, Ron Martinez
  • Publication number: 20090157496
    Abstract: A personal broadcasting system and method is described herein for automatically matching and introducing users based on their real-time locations, such that users identified as capable of or likely to form a relationship can be notified of that fact at a point in time when it is easy to meet. A system and method is also described herein that allows at least one of two users that have visited or passed through the same location at different points in time to automatically receive information about the other despite the temporal separation between them.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicant: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventors: Marc E. Davis, Ronald G. Martinez, Christopher W. Higgins
  • Publication number: 20090138328
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product is described that matches commercial incentives to consumers based on targeting data associated with the commercial incentive and user data associated with consumers in a manner that advantageously allows for highly-targeted delivery of commercial incentives to the consumers that are most likely to use them. Because both the targeting data and the user data may include spatial, temporal, social and topical data, matching may be performed based on any or all of these data types, as well as based on any combination of these data types.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2007
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventors: Christopher W. Higgins, Marc E. Davis, Robert C. Trout
  • Publication number: 20090138347
    Abstract: A commercial incentive engine and network is described that advantageously allows content and/or terms associated with a commercial incentive that has already been distributed to a consumer over a network to be dynamically augmented. The dynamic augmentation may occur responsive to one or more of revisions to the content and/or terms input by an advertiser, responsive to business information provided by an advertiser, or responsive to spatial, temporal, social and topical data associated with the consumer. An alternate implementation also advantageously allows the content and/or terms associated with a commercial incentive to be dynamically determined prior to distribution of the commercial incentive to a consumer over a network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2007
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventors: Christopher W. Higgins, Marc E. Davis, Robert C. Trout
  • Publication number: 20090138348
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for permitting commercial incentives received by a consumer device to be redistributed to other consumer devices, thereby facilitating the sharing and/or transport of commercial incentives between and among consumers. Systems and methods for distributing and/or redistributing commercial incentives from a node to consumer devices within a local network associated with the node are also described. In both distribution and redistribution scenarios, compensation may be issued to a distributor and/or redistributor upon redemption of a commercial incentive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2007
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: YAHOO! INC.
    Inventors: Christopher W. Higgins, Marc E. Davis, Robert C. Trout