Patents Examined by Benjamin S Fields
  • Patent number: 7801811
    Abstract: A method of assessing money-laundering risk of an individual includes gathering information regarding the individual. The gathered information includes geographic information and personal information. The method also includes determining a risk value of the geographic information and a risk value of the personal information and calculating a money-laundering risk score using the geographic information risk value and the personal information risk value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
    Inventors: Daniel James Merrell, Susan Beth Van Horn
  • Patent number: 7792718
    Abstract: A method for operating a knowledge market is disclosed. The method for operating the knowledge market includes creating a knowledge base with a plurality of knowledge assets. A strike value is assigned to each of the knowledge assets. An earned value is calculated for each of the knowledge assets based on the corresponding usage of the knowledge asset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Ralph Peter Williams
  • Patent number: 7788175
    Abstract: An Internet-based check ordering system includes an Internet-based server having a check order entry user interface, a bank transit number computer system in operable communication with the Internet-based server computer system, a client computer system in operable communication with the Internet-based server computer system and a printing system in operable communication with the Internet-based server computer system to print the ordered checks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Inventor: Cindy Hadfield
  • Patent number: 7729987
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a demand deposit account. The method may comprise the step of structuring the demand deposit account with at least a first balance tier and a second balance tier. The methods may also comprise the steps of monitoring a balance of the demand deposit account, and accruing interest to at least a portion of the balance of the demand deposit account at an interest rate if the balance falls within the second balance tier. The interest rate may be tied to an interest rate of an investment account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Linda Wakim, Alan Trivilino, Richard Claypoole
  • Patent number: 7720751
    Abstract: A computer system for conducting continuous assurance for internal control of financial transactions is disclosed. The computer system comprises a processor, a bus coupled to the processor, a memory coupled to the bus, a mass storage system coupled to the bus, and continuous assurance software resident in the memory. The continuous assurance software, when executed, performing the steps of accessing client database, downloading total population, performing analysis, evaluating analysis results, comparing total population to financial statements, determining risk ratings for each predetermined financial group, determining a materiality of anomalies, and displaying results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Natural Decision Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Benedetto Bongiorno, Patti Lynn Bongiorno
  • Patent number: 7720762
    Abstract: The invention is a system and method for electronically processing electronic payment transactions. The invention provides a system and method for processing electronic payment transactions based upon a threshold amount. The system and method determine whether a monetary amount associated with a transaction meets a threshold amount and selects an account of the purchaser for settling the transaction based upon that determination. The invention thus allows micropayments, of an amount beneath a threshold, to be settled with one account, whereas non-micropayments may be settled to another account. In other embodiments, the threshold is based upon cumulative amounts, which may include amounts associated with subscriber use of the payment device, when the payment device is a subscriber device such as a wireless communications device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: GoFigure Payments, LLC
    Inventor: Devon A. Rolf
  • Patent number: 7707112
    Abstract: Disclosed are a periodic payment system for service use fees and a control method thereof, and a service provider of the payment system and a control method thereof. The periodic payment system receiving information on credit of a subscriber from a payment information provider includes a payment acknowledgement server for determining whether or not a demanded payment is acknowledged based on the credit information of the subscriber provided by the payment information provider, and providing payment demand information to the payment information provider if it is determined that the demanded payment is acknowledged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: NHN Corporation
    Inventors: Ho-Joon Shin, Dong-Jo Choi
  • Patent number: 7707106
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method to automatically transfer funds between accounts is provided. The method may include: linking a checking account and a savings account; establishing a maintained balance limit for the checking account; querying the checking account to determine a checking account balance; comparing the checking account balance to the maintained balance limit; and, if the checking account balance exceeds the maintained balance limit, automatically transferring an excess balance to the savings account. According to another embodiment a system for automatically transferring funds is provided. The system may include an account establishment module, an account funds module and an account management module. These module may be able to perform various steps of the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Capital One Financial Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Raymond Swanson, Sr., Rick L. Morris
  • Patent number: 7702580
    Abstract: Systems and methods for optimizing servicing fees for a set of loans are disclosed. A system for optimizing servicing fees for a set of loans may include a processing unit and a storage device coupled to the processing unit having stored therein information for configuring the processing unit to obtain a minimum servicing fee and a maximum servicing fee, identify net benefits of increasing servicing fees for the loans in the set of loans, and iteratively adjust the servicing fee until the optimal servicing fee is attained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Fannie Mae
    Inventors: David N. Voth, Peter A. Simon, Richard N. Plotnick, Scott Youngman, Patricia D. Fulcher, Neiman Alvarez, Andrew Huffman, Anne Harrell, George Saad, Michael J. Kane
  • Patent number: 7685042
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for chart pattern recognition and analysis. In one embodiment, a graphical interface is provided to enable a trader to select a portion of a chart to be used in the chart pattern analysis. The pattern of the selected portion of the chart could then be used to find one or more similar chart patterns in a user-defined timeframe, such as any future time period or a time period in the past. When a reoccurring chart pattern is found in any future time period, an alert signal can be generated to alert a user of a possibility of the chart pattern reoccurrence. Alternatively, chart pattern matches can be found in a time period in the past, and a set of studies can be applied to the found matches to generate a set of reoccurring indicator values. The reoccurring indicator values can be used in combination with the chart pattern to detect any similar chart patterns in the future.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Trading Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Monroe, Alvin F. Tanpoco
  • Patent number: 7676427
    Abstract: A computer system for conducting continuous assurance of financial documents is disclosed. The computer system comprises a processor, a bus coupled to the processor, a memory coupled to the bus, a mass storage system coupled to the bus, a communication device coupled to the bus, and continuous assurance software resident in the memory. The continuous assurance software, when executed, performing the steps of accessing client database at a predetermined interval, downloading total population from client database, performing analysis, evaluating analysis results, comparing total population to financial statements, determining a risk rating for each predetermined group, determining a materiality of anomalies, and displaying results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Natural Decision Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Benedetto Bongiorno, Patti Lynn Bongiorno
  • Patent number: 7672885
    Abstract: A consolidated purchasing system for search term auctions is provided. The system typically includes receiving logic, analyzing logic, and purchasing logic. The receiving logic receives orders from customers. The analyzing logic receives and consolidates the plurality of orders, analyzes a dynamic auction for search terms on a search engine, and determines search terms upon which to bid and an amount to bid for the search terms. The determination of the amount to bid on the search terms is in response to a budget and an expected return on the search terms. The purchasing logic receives instructions from the bidding logic and bids on the search terms in the dynamic auction, wherein the cost of a position on a search result list for the search engine changes in response to input from auction participants. Other systems and methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L. P.
    Inventors: Charles Stubbs, Laurie Scholl, Derek Talbot, Matthew Mulqueen, Bill Lott, W. Braxton Caswell, Jr., Neil Salvage
  • Patent number: 7668780
    Abstract: A money transfer system where a sender can authorize an escrow agent computer system electronically by touch-tone telephone, computer modem, P.O.S.(point of sale) terminal, live operators, and the like, to send a money transfer such as a cash transfer from their card account such as their credit card, debit card, bank card, ATM card, or a bank checking account, bank savings account, and the like, to a recipient that can access the money transfer at any remote ATM type location or P.O.S.(point of sale) terminal by using magnetic cards such as a specialized magnetic (Cash Magic) card, credit cards, debit cards, and automated teller machine(ATM) card, at anytime and anywhere that the ATM or P.O.S.(point of sale) terminal is located worldwide. The system can be used to quickly and easily send another party cash for pickup at any ATM location or P.O.S.(point of sale) terminal worldwide without having pre-existing relationships between the parties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Integrated Technological Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen D. Battaglini, Michael D. Battaglini, Gil Starkey
  • Patent number: 7664700
    Abstract: A system for and method of administering payouts under an individual annuity contract is provided. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a computer system is provided which includes a memory for storing individual annuity contract data relating to a individual annuity contract which provides the contract owner with the option to withdraw principal from the annuity during the payout phase, and a processor programmed to process and issue principal payouts as selected by the annuitant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
    Inventor: Charles Gordon Fisher, III
  • Patent number: 7640212
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for executing a plurality of money transfers, at least one term of which is dependent on the value of a fluctuating parameter, for example a currency exchange rate or the amount of a transaction service fee. The customer may stage a first money transfer at a money-transfer system and a first value of the fluctuating parameter may be determined by a host processor. The first money transfer may then be executed by the money-transfer system using the first value of the fluctuating parameter and a unique lock-in value identifier may be stored in the host processor's memory that associates the first value of the fluctuating parameter with the customer. When the customer stages a second (and any subsequent) money transfer at the money transfer system, a second value of the fluctuating parameter may be determined by the host processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: The Western Union Company
    Inventor: Michael F. Rodin
  • Patent number: 7610229
    Abstract: A system and method is provided to allow a consumer to interactively explore his credit score by submitting hypothetical values based on his actual credit data. The system uses the consumer's real credit data and the submitted hypothetical values to calculate a simulated credit score based on a simulator scorecard. The consumer may then observe the changes in the resultant scores. The system and the scorecard may utilize fewer data elements than a complete credit-worthiness scorecard and may instead focus on the key elements affecting a consumer's credit score. The system may be implemented in part on a web server or as a stand-alone application. The system may also update the score dynamically as the consumer adjusts the hypothetical values or may require the consumer to affirmatively submit the new hypothetical data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Experian Information Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam T. Kornegay, Joseph L. Greenwald, Constance A. Elliott
  • Patent number: 7574388
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for trading a tradeable object. One example apparatus includes a microprocessor, a graphical user comprising a first screen region having a plurality of locations in the first screen region, each location corresponding to a price level along a first axis and a time along a second axis. The apparatus also comprises a user input device for sending a command to initiate placement of a timed trade order, and an indicator being dynamically displayed in one of the plurality locations of the first screen region and corresponding to the timed order. In one example embodiment, the indicator dynamically moves over time relative to the second axis indicating a time until the order will be automatically sent to a computerized matching process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Trading Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventor: Simeon C. Peebler
  • Patent number: 7567930
    Abstract: A network device coalesces data received from an exchange, and provides a user with the opportunity to receive fewer, but up-to-date, data updates from an exchange when duplicate prices become available or a large volume of prices becomes available suddenly. Accordingly, the trader can be assured of receiving non-duplicated prices that are fed at a rate that is cohesive with that trader's connection speed. The present invention is designed to conserve on bandwidth thereby increasing the likelihood that bandwidth will be available to receive desirable market information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Trading Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventors: Jens-Uwe Schluetter, Stephen A. Schwartz
  • Patent number: 7565321
    Abstract: After a preliminary exchange between the vendor and the purchaser with a view to completing a transaction corresponding to the payment of an amount due to the vendor for a service rendered, information is exchanged only between the purchaser and a telepayment server (T). The purchaser sends the telepayment server information (1) including data relating to the vendor and said amount. The server then authenticates the vendor's identifier (I1) on the basis of the information received and responds by sending the purchaser a message (2) instructing payment of said amount and including at least said amount and the identifier (I1) of the vendor. The purchaser responds by sending the server confidential information (3) enabling payment of said amount, after verification by the purchaser of the identifier (I1) of the vendor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: France Telcom
    Inventor: Jean-Claude Pailles
  • Patent number: 7552077
    Abstract: A network device coalesces data received from an exchange, and provides a user with the opportunity to receive fewer, but up-to-date, data updates from an exchange when duplicate prices become available or a large volume of prices becomes available suddenly. Accordingly, the trader can be assured of receiving non-duplicated prices that are fed at a rate that is cohesive with that trader's connection speed. The present invention is designed to conserve on bandwidth thereby increasing the likelihood that bandwidth will be available to receive desirable market information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Trading Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventors: Jens-Uwe Schluetter, Stephen A. Schwartz