Patents Examined by Brandy Zukanovich
  • Patent number: 8620759
    Abstract: Methods and systems for processing orders are provided. In some embodiments, methods for processing orders are provided, the methods comprising: receiving a user selection of a routing style; receiving a user selection of a post destination; routing at least a portion of an order according to the routing style; and posting at least a portion of the order at the posting destination selected by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: ConvergEx Group, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Virgilio, Craig Viani
  • Patent number: 8600828
    Abstract: The invention provides methods of acquiring actual real-time shopper behavior data during product selection of purchasable items by a shopper in a store. More specifically, disclosed herein are methods of using a communications multi-network, a First Moment of Truth device and a data collection device to track actual real-time shopper behavior data relating to the presumed locations of shoppers in a store, the time spent and location of time spent by a shopper while considering a purchasable item and products chosen for purchase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Sunrise R&D Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Brett Bracewell Bonner, Christopher Todd Hjelm, Titus Arthur Jones, John Edward Osborne, II, Dion Brent Perkins
  • Patent number: 8595087
    Abstract: An auction system and method, which identifies at least one lot to be auctioned, having a plurality of units within the lot and associated auction parameters; transmits a remaining quantity of units within the lot from a central server to a plurality of remote locations; receives bid identifications for remaining units within the lot at the contemporaneous offering price from the plurality of remote locations; and decrements the offering price over time. The decrement may be adaptive to a bid activity pattern, and the bid activity pattern may be stored in a database. A local server may be provided to communicate between the central server and remote locations while changing the format of the information communicated. The packets preferably include compressed information, and preferably include quantity remaining information for a plurality of auction lots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Voyager Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Willem Daman, James A. McInnes
  • Patent number: 8583504
    Abstract: Systems and methods to propagate and redeem offers via mobile communications. In one aspect, a system includes an interchange and a data storage facility storing a value in association with a first phone number. The interchange includes a common format processor and a plurality of converters to interface with a plurality of different controllers of mobile communications. The converters are configured to communicate with the common format processor in a common format and with the controllers in different formats. The common format processor is to re-associate the value with a second phone number and to use one converter of the converters to communicate a reference of the value to a telephonic apparatus at the second phone number, in response to a request from a telephonic apparatus at the first phone number, when the request includes the second phone number and a reference to the value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Boku, Inc.
    Inventors: Ron Hirson, David Yoo
  • Patent number: 8577742
    Abstract: A communication system may include a server, and a computing device communicating with the server and including a display, and a processor cooperating with the display. The processor may be for receiving commercial transaction content from the server and presenting the commercial transaction content on the display, detecting a first trigger event causing a removal of the commercial transaction content from the display and presenting new content from the server on the display, and presenting the new content and an overlay window on the display, the overlay window including the commercial transaction content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: New Antics, LLC
    Inventors: Bruce K. Long, Daryll Strauss
  • Patent number: 8538824
    Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products for identifying recurring purchases of the same good or service based upon item-level electronic transaction data. Item-level electronic transaction data is analyzed to determine a purchase interval of a good or service. A consumer is reminded to purchase the good or service based on the determined purchase interval by receiving an electronic message at a consumer computer or mobile communication device, e.g., in the form of an electronic shopping list. Purchase intervals of different items may be determined such that a list generated at one time may include certain goods and services but a list generated at another time may include other goods and services due to the variable time between purchasing different goods and services.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Intuit Inc.
    Inventors: Phillip J. McKay, Michael J. Graves
  • Patent number: 8538825
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for informing a user of purchase information in an online purchase situation are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes determining whether an activation device indicator is within a predetermined proximity of a purchase-initiating button in a web browser; and initiating a tip message displaying the purchase information including at least one of: an historical balance, an existing balance, an available amount of credit, or a payment method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Kevin W. McCullen
  • Patent number: 8533055
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for an inspection system and method that automatically photographs or captures video footage of received items for trade-in as they are being inspected or graded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Silas M. Brazil, Sandeep Bodapati, Maurice Codik Moscoso, Ranjeet S. Sonone
  • Patent number: 8533067
    Abstract: A personalization network service enables developers to develop recommenders that can be made available to content site operators for providing recommendations to end users. The personalization network service may also be capable of optimizing the use and selection of the recommenders for different end users, groups or segments of end users, content sites, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Francis J. Kane, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8515826
    Abstract: Methods and systems for designing and producing a three-dimensional object selection of a base three-dimensional object from a customer device. A base three-dimensional model corresponding to the object is displayed on the customer device, and one or more custom modifications are received. A modified three-dimensional model corresponding to the modified object is prepared and displayed. Once confirmation to produce the modified object is received, data corresponding to the modified three-dimensional model is transmitted to a manufacturing device for production of the object, using the data to do so, such that the object corresponds directly to the modified three-dimensional model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Inventor: Bryan C. Norman
  • Patent number: 8484092
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for generating user communities based on common interests. Users demonstrating a potential interest in a product and/or product class in an electronic commerce system are identified. A geographic location of each of the users can also be identified. The geographic area can be expanded or reduced so that the pool of users in a community meets minimum and/or maximum thresholds. An event can be created on behalf of the users in an establishment. An electronic forum can also be created. The users in a community can also be linked together in a social networking system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: William Alexander Strand
  • Patent number: 8468063
    Abstract: A dynamic property buying and selling system is described. The system is comprised of networked hardware, software, processes and methods that enable an auction like system to probe the market and inform buyers, sellers and interested third parties of current market demand information including dynamics. The described system may be used in real estate and other markets to complete early stages of a negotiation process as well as enable buyers and sellers to test for market demand information. Third party observers may use the system to investigate and report on market demand information and test economic theories regarding the market of interest. An integrated expert system is useful to buyers, sellers and third party observers in providing answers to queries regarding correlation of auction parameters and optimization of parameters for particular desired outcomes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Inventor: Asaf Danzan
  • Patent number: 8412590
    Abstract: An example system includes a display, a communication circuit, a memory storing a shopping program, and a processor in communication with the display, the communication circuit and the memory. The processor is configured to execute the shopping program to access a product database including product information, to process inputs supplied to the system to generate a shopping list comprising one or more products from the product database and to provide guidance information on the display relating to product location in a store of the products on the shopping list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Scott Elliott
  • Patent number: 8401920
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, transmitting registration information over a network to a registration server for registration of first media content housed in a physical medium where the first registration information is associated with a purchase of the first media content from a point of sale device of a retailer and responsive to the registration, obtaining authorization for electronic access to second media content provided by a media source, where the second media content is associated with the first media content. Other embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Scott White, James Cansler, Charles Scott
  • Patent number: 8401924
    Abstract: Comparative decision systems and methods are disclosed for gathering and mining data representative of purchase decisions. One disclosed comparative decision system detects when a user is comparing items and provides the user with the ability to create a research note storing comparative information for the alternative items. The system displays information about items according to a variety of factors. The user can customize the factors and enter information for each alternative item according to the various factors. Some information may be pre-populated by the system. The research note may be made visible to other users, and may be suggested to another user based on the note's expected helpfulness and relevance to that user. One disclosed method for mining data stored within research notes identifies which factors are given higher relative priorities by users considering a purchase. Another mining method analyzes the effects of price changes on item popularity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sameer R. Rajyaguru, Terrence R. Nightingale, Marvin M. Theimer
  • Patent number: 8396752
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for managing listing prices in an ecommerce environment. The method includes receiving from a user information, including price information, pertaining to a user's listing on an ecommerce web site, receiving from the user at least one search term that is not a valid UPC, ISBN, EAN, eBay Product ID, or ASIN, searching the ecommerce web site using the search term(s) received from the user and retrieving from the ecommerce web site at least one item listing relevant to the search term(s), and using an algorithm that utilizes the price of the at least one item retrieved from the ecommerce web site to determine a new price for the user's listing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Inventor: Ryan Daniel Hatfield
  • Patent number: 8396758
    Abstract: Techniques for confirming purchases of products from a retail establishment using a mobile device allow for loss prevention personnel at a retail establishment to confirm that users exiting the retail establishment in possession of physical products have legitimately purchased those products via their mobile devices while within the retail establishment. When a purchase facilitating server, in communication with a user's mobile device, transacts the user's purchase of one or more products within the retail establishment, the purchase facilitating server may generate a purchase confirmation as a receipt of the transaction. The receipt may include a purchase confirmation code and/or one or more visual indicators of an estimated likelihood of theft associated with the corresponding transaction. The receipt may be transmitted to a loss prevention device at the retail establishment, for use by loss prevention personnel in matching against the user's physical cart before the user exits the retail establishment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Intuit Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Paradise, Dan Richard Preston, Jose H. Mercado, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8396753
    Abstract: A user communicates, such as through text, a phrase or word to quickly place and pay for an order. The phrase corresponds to details of the order and one phrase can contain orders with multiple merchants. Once the phrase is communicated, a service provider or merchant determines the order from the phrase and processes the order, which may include transmitting order details to the merchant(s) and processing the payment(s) to the merchant(s) on behalf of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Ebay Inc.
    Inventors: Ruchi Bansal, Rajesh Ramanand
  • Patent number: 8396755
    Abstract: A method of reclaiming products from a retail store includes passing a plurality of products through an object identification system, capturing images of the plurality of products with object sensors as the products pass through the object identification system, processing the images to identify an indicium for each product, transmitting the indicium for each product through a wireless communication network to a logic engine, sorting the plurality of products based on the indicia to produce a bundled lot of products, producing a unique identifier for the bundled lot, the unique identifier having a machine readable code, and communicating the unique identifier of the bundled lot and the indicia of the products in the bundled lot to an auctioneer for initiation of a direct-to-consumer auction for auctioning of the bundled lot directly to a group of bidders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Sunrise R&D Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Brett Bracewell Bonner, Robert Edward Carmack, Titus Arthur Jones, Doug Steven Meiser, Christopher Dale Norris, Nathaniel Wellikoff, Michael John Zettler
  • Patent number: 8396760
    Abstract: This disclosure describes systems and associated methods that can selectively filter seed behavior, e.g., user activity used to generate item recommendations. In some embodiments, seed behaviors and catalog items are associated with categories in an electronic catalog, and a particular seed behavior is used to generate user recommendations if it is more recent than a user's last purchase in the category of the seed behavior. For example, a user's activity in the TV category, e.g., viewing various TV models, may not be used to generate recommendations if the activity occurred prior to the user's purchase of a TV. As a result, in certain embodiments, additional TVs may not appear in the user's recommendations following her purchase, reflecting that the user has fulfilled her desire to purchase a TV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew J. Bradley, David Neil Turner, Robert Philip Japp, Oliver Rupert Masting, Matthew J. Round