Patents by Inventor Thomas M. Rowland

Thomas M. Rowland 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).

  • Patent number: 6832212
    Abstract: A method for manipulating billing and payment information comprising the steps of: loading billing information stored at a local location; accessing retained criteria; formatting field information within a data record automatically; acting on the retained criteria; displaying the formatted field information; and operating on the formatted field information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Hal B. Zenner, Thomas M. Rowland
  • Patent number: 6035332
    Abstract: Described is a mechanism for dependably tracking web page activities among a group of browsers. The web browsers retrieve web pages from an HTTP server, with each of the web pages embedding an applet. In response to web page activities (such as loading or unloading of a web page) performed at a browser, the respective applet reports the activities (together with the URL of the web page) to a synchronization server, which in turn stores them in a database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Michael I. Ingrassia, Jr., James A. Shelton, Thomas M. Rowland
  • Patent number: 5954798
    Abstract: Described is a mechanism for dependably managing web synchronization and tracking operations among multiple consumer browsers. A session is created for each of one of the consumer browsers when an individual consumer downloads an initial web page from an HTTP server. A unique ID is assigned to that session. After the session has been created for an individual browser, the information about all activities from that consumer browser will be recorded into the session. Such a mechanism overcomes the difficulty to organize and manage the activities from the multiple consumer browsers that are stateless in nature. An administration browser can select any one of the sessions created, display the activities previously performed in that session, and conduct bi-direction synchronization with the consumer browser associated with the selected session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: James A. Shelton, Michael I. Ingrassia, Jr., Thomas M. Rowland
  • Patent number: 5951643
    Abstract: Described is a mechanism for dependably organizing and managing information for web synchronization and tracking among multiple consumer browsers. A session is created for each of one of the consumer browsers when an individual consumer downloads an initial web page from an HTTP server. A unique ID is assigned to that session. After the session has been created for an individual browser, the information about the all activities from that consumer browser will be recorded into the session. Such a mechanism overcomes the difficulty to organize and manage the activities from the multiple consumer browsers that are in stateless nature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: James A. Shelton, Michael I. Ingrassia, Jr., Thomas M. Rowland
  • Patent number: 5951652
    Abstract: Described is a mechanism for dependably synchronizing data element activities on web pages among a group of browsers. The web browsers retrieve web pages from an HTTP server. Each of the web pages contains at least one data element and embeds a Master Applet and at least one DTS Applet (DTS stands for data tracking and synchronization). In response the data element activities (such as entering data into a data field) performed at a browser, the DTS Applet passes the activities to the Master Applet, which in turn reports the activities (together with the URL of the web page on which the data element activities have occurred) to a tracking server. The tracking server sends the activity report (together with the URL of the web page on which the data element activities have occurred) to the Master Applets at all participant browsers. The participant Master Applets then instruct their respective DTS Applets to display the data element activities on the web page identified by the URL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Michael I. Ingrassia, Jr., James A. Shelton, Thomas M. Rowland
  • Patent number: 5941957
    Abstract: Described is a mechanism for dependably synchronizing web pages among a group of browsers. Each of the web page embeds an applet. In response the activities (such as loading or unloading of a web page) performed at a browser, the applet reports activities (together with the URL of the web page) to a page synchronizing server, which in turn relays the activities (together with the URL) to all participant browsers. The participant browsers can load and unload the web page according to the report of the activities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Michael I. Ingrassia, Jr., James A. Shelton, Thomas M. Rowland