Patents Examined by Ella Colbert
  • Patent number: 8244634
    Abstract: This document describes tools capable of altering to which interchange categories credit-card transactions are assigned. In some embodiments, the tools receive parameters for interchange categories and transaction information for a client (e.g., one or more merchants) that has been charged interchange fees based on some of these categories. The parameters are utilized (e.g., by a credit card issuer) to determine to which interchange category a particular transaction will be assigned. The tools may determine, based on these parameters and the transaction information, how transactions may be changed to enable similar credit-card transactions to be assigned to a lower-cost interchange category.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: PE Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Alan Wayne McElroy, Thomas P. Parrish, Kelly Birr
  • Patent number: 8245076
    Abstract: A method and device are provided for initiating corrective actions for a terminal, such as an ATM. A method of initiating corrective actions for a terminal comprises, monitoring a fault status of a first component, detecting a fault status of the first component with a first trigger plug-in, activating a first action plug-in based upon the detected fault status of the first component, and recycling the first component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: William G. Schindel, Jr., David Eric Malone, Kevin T. McGovern
  • Patent number: 8244620
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method comprising: inputting data regarding the sale of a security consisting of: (i) a post-paid forward contract which obligates the second entity to purchase a fixed number of shares stock of the first entity; and (ii) debt; inputting data regarding the purchase, by the first entity from the second entity, of a pre-paid forward contract which obligates the second entity to deliver to the first entity a variable number of shares of stock in the first entity; inputting a then-current stock price associated with the stock of the first entity; calculating a number of shares underlying the pre-paid forward contract, based on a formula that is a function of a then-current stock price and a remaining maturity associated with the pre-paid forward contract; recording the data regarding the sale of the security; recording the data regarding the purchase, of the pre-paid forward contract; and recording the calculated number of shares.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Goldman, Sachs & Co.
    Inventors: Emerson P. Jones, Karen Schoen
  • Patent number: 8239298
    Abstract: Method, system, and computer-readable medium are provided for optimizing an allocation of money to assets and liabilities. A method includes providing at least one asset comprising a value and a projected return rate at which the value is expected to appreciate over a period, providing at least one liability including a liability amount and an interest rate at which the liability amount is expected to depreciate over said period, and optimizing an allocation of money to the at least one asset and the at least one liability based on the expected appreciation of the at least one asset and the expected depreciation of the at least one liability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Inventors: David B. Wilson, Frederick C. Buffum
  • Patent number: 8239258
    Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products for facilitating the redemption of affinity reward points as political contributions are disclosed. In an aspect, “points” or “miles” created through various existing affinity programs prevalent in the credit card and airline industries can be redeemed as political donations. Typically, such reward, award or bonus “points” or “miles” have been redeemed for free or discounted rewards such as airline tickets, hotel room stays, restaurant vouchers or other goods and services. However, millions of vested affinity points or miles are left unused (i.e., unredeemed). The present invention allows a consumer who holds such points or miles to link to a political campaign, political party or political action committee allowing excess points to be converted into cash donations to such political campaigns, political parties or political action committees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Inventor: David J. Urban
  • Patent number: 8239321
    Abstract: A method, program product and system, the method comprising: accessing one or more databases comprising: aggregated deposit account information for a plurality of government-backed insured and interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts held in a plurality of depository institutions, obtaining transfer data; allocating one or more first amounts. The allocating comprising: selecting a sub-set of one or more aggregated deposit accounts held in one or more of the depository institutions to which to deposit/transfer or to withdraw/transfer funds, while avoiding withdrawing funds for a respective sub-period of time from each of one or more of other aggregated deposit accounts based at least in part on one or more criteria; and allocating a first amount(s) of funds to the aggregated deposit accounts based at least in part on the transfer data and the sub-set selected to receive a deposit/transfer of funds or from which to withdraw/transfer funds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Island Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Bent, Bruce Bent, II
  • Patent number: 8229825
    Abstract: Methods for a data processor implemented system monitor for enabling persons to turn over the allocation their investment assets, and/or receive assistance concerning how to receive disbursements from investments, in a manner that is free from or ameliorates the traditional conflicts of interest in previous systems. The methods are adapted to ameliorate the tension between other functions where the compensation may be affected by asset allocation. The systems and methods collect, monitor, and direct information from persons who hold indicative data, e.g., employers, to provide professional asset allocation services including automatic allocation, rebalancing, and reallocation of investment assets, on a regular basis; as well as assistance in determining how much to save or how to receive disbursements in a manner that ameliorates conflicts of interest, which, in the case of employee benefit plans, is consistent with the regulatory restraints of ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Inventors: Brian C. Tarbox, Mark David Powers, legal representative, Mark Greenstein
  • Patent number: 8229885
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical administrative system with a pharmacy and a service center network for preparing and dispensing medication. The pharmacy network prepares orders for medication from various customers for various patients. By retrieving information from a global database in the service center network, the pharmacy network conveys patient, customer and formulary information to users of the pharmacy network. Also, the pharmacy network prepares medication specific labels to identify and verify the contents of the medication. Furthermore, the pharmacy network provides additional safeguards and information, including balancing orders and displaying and/or generating hardcopies of solubility curves, to a health care provider using the pharmacy network with the additional ability to customize the medication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: B. Braun Medical Inc.
    Inventors: Eric K. Steen, William John Brandon, Thomas J. Wilverding, Michael A. Koch, Jean Pfeiffer
  • Patent number: 8229854
    Abstract: A transaction processing system for the real time authorization of payment transactions, The system comprises a verification system (4) connected to an issuer card management system (3). A cardholder can access the system via an interface (2) which can be for example the Internet, a wireless device, telephone, or a branch visit. The interface allows the cardholder to input rules governing how their credit card transactions are to be authorized. When the cardholder initiates a purchase transaction with their credit card, an authorization request is passed from the card network to the verification system which executes the rules created by the cardholder in order to approve or deny the transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Orbiscom Limited
    Inventors: Kavanagh Stephen, Conor Clarke, Kleron Guilfoyle, Patrick Brosnan
  • Patent number: 8219476
    Abstract: A financial analysis program includes an object oriented architecture having a number of abstract classes associated with performing financial calculations. The abstract classes include an instruments class that defines a number of financial instruments in a hierarchical manner. The abstract classes also include a models class that defines a number of objects or functions used to perform financial calculations. The program also includes an interface to allow a user to pass instrument parameters to the objects or functions and execute the object or function using the instrument parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Po Wang
  • Patent number: 8219898
    Abstract: A document registration system for registering a plurality of electronic documents is provided. The document registration system includes an information processing apparatus having a display unit and a storage unit. The information processing apparatus is provided with a registration unit, which can be operated to perform a registration process to register the electronic documents in an interactive processing mode, wherein the electronic documents are registered manually, and in a batch processing mode, wherein the electronic documents are registered automatically in a batch, and a first switching unit to mutually switch activation of the interactive processing mode and the batch processing mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masatoshi Kadota
  • Patent number: 8214252
    Abstract: A system comprising a consumer good, especially a packet of cigarettes or packet of pharmaceutical products, and a server has a consumer good fitted with a concealed code, wherein the code is associated with an advantage having a monetary value and can be transmitted to a server via a telecommunication link, the server being used to check whether the code is registered as valid, and depending on the result of this test, an advantage with a monetary value is credited by the server to the telecommunication number of the caller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Rocks Intertainment GmbH
    Inventors: Torsten Suter, Marcus Regensburger
  • Patent number: 8214293
    Abstract: A cardholder-initiated financial transaction using a cardholder controlled input device in communication with a payment card network and a database is disclosed. The cardholder uses a payment card issued to the cardholder by an issuer bank. An exemplary method includes the steps of storing merchant data within the database including data identifying the merchants registered to utilize the card network and receiving from the input device transaction data relating to the financial transaction. The transaction data includes an authorization request and merchant identifying data that identifies the merchant involved in the transaction. The method further includes determining that the identified merchant is registered to utilize the card network by comparing the transaction data with the merchant data stored in the database, forwarding the authorization request to the issuer bank, receiving a response to the request from the issuer bank, and automatically forwarding the response to the input device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: MasterCard International Incorporated
    Inventor: Jonathan Robert Powell
  • Patent number: 8209223
    Abstract: An indication of an object included in a frame of a video content item is received. A tag is associated with the object, the tag including a reference to a media content item. An additional frame that includes the object is identified in the video content item. The tag is associated with the additional frame in the video content item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Fink, Ran Tavory, Tamar Rachel Kolodny, Natalia Marmasse
  • Patent number: 8204816
    Abstract: A method and system for creating a stock index for a group of investment management companies is disclosed. The method may include obtaining first trade information for each security representative of the group of investment management companies during a first time period, aggregating the first trade information for a predetermined time period, storing the aggregated first trade information, calculating from the aggregated first trade information an index for the group of investment management companies, determining a standardized measure of the index based on the aggregated first trade information obtained in the first time period, and periodically recalculating the index based on second trade information for each security representative of the group of investment management companies during a second time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Chicago Board Options Exchange
    Inventors: William Brodsky, William Speth
  • Patent number: 8200560
    Abstract: A financial analysis program includes an object oriented architecture having a number of abstract classes associated with performing financial calculations. The abstract classes include an instruments class that defines a number of financial instruments in a hierarchical manner. The abstract classes also include a models class that defines a number of objects or functions used to perform financial calculations. The program also includes an interface to allow a user to pass instrument parameters to the objects or functions and execute the object or function using the instrument parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Po Wang
  • Patent number: 8200559
    Abstract: A financial analysis program includes an object oriented architecture having a number of abstract classes associated with performing financial calculations. The abstract classes include an instruments class that defines a number of financial instruments in a hierarchical manner. The abstract classes also include a models class that defines a number of objects or functions used to perform financial calculations. The program also includes an interface to allow a user to pass instrument parameters to the objects or functions and execute the object or function using the instrument parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Po Wang
  • Patent number: 8195549
    Abstract: Systems and methods of on-line credit information monitoring and control. In one embodiment, a server computer accesses and retrieves credit information relating to a consumer. The server computer may also provide a user interface with active links associated with credit items. The links may allow the consumer to communicate directly with a credit service. The server computer may offer additional credit-related services such as credit report retrieval, credit monitoring, notifications, identity theft management, interest rate calculations, historical archives, and account management.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Consumerinfo.com, Inc.
    Inventor: Sheldon Kasower
  • Patent number: 8195570
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a system is provided that allows a point of sale device to capture the signature of a check writer at the time a check is presented for ACH processing. In accordance with another embodiment, a test can be made to compare optically read information from the face of a check against a negative database or a risk management database to reduce the risk of bad checks being processed by a merchant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: First Data Corporation
    Inventors: Tamila Barron, Bruce Dragt, Daniel Ahles
  • Patent number: 8190519
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for sending and receiving gifts including specified, electronically-deliverable electronically transferrable items are disclosed. A system includes a data store that stores electronically transferrable items available to be purchased as gifts. The system also includes a computing device in communication with the data store. The computing device is operative to receive a selection by a giver of a specified electronically transferrable item to be presented to a recipient as a gift. The computing device is further operative to charge a payment mechanism associated with the giver after the recipient has accepted the gift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Aby T. Angilivelil, Imtiaz Ahmed, Prasanna P. Subash