Patents Examined by Ella Colbert
  • Investment performance measurement
    Patent number: 8751357
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system, method, or computer program product for evaluating risk adjusted performance of an investment portfolio. This invention may be applied to any asset which has a value. The invention evaluates risk adjusted performance of an investment portfolio by first determining at least one positive utility concept and at least one negative utility concept describing an asset. Then, the invention normalizes the at least one negative utility concept to an equivalent negative utility concept describing or deriving from a group of assets. Finally, the invention may relate at least one positive utility concept and at least one normalized negative utility concept to determine a performance measure. In this way, the invention normalized negative asset returns such that better investor utility ratings are not falsely provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: University Court of the University of St Andrews
    Inventor: Andreas G. F. Hoepner
  • Method for using financial incentives with member engagement metrics to reduce health care claim costs
    Patent number: 8744878
    Abstract: A health care plan system and method designed to reduce future claims costs through financial incentives with member engagement metrics. Targets are pre-set for member engagement metrics. Claims cost targets for the sponsor are set based on the sponsor meeting member engagement targets. A percentage of health care plan base administrative fees are at risk based on the sponsor's claims cost performance in relation to the claims cost target. If the claims cost target is missed, the health plan administrator repays or reduces administrative fees charged to the sponsor. If the claims cost target is met, the sponsor pays additional fees to the health plan administrator. Base administrative fees are also repaid or reduced if the health care plan administrator fails to meet service performance targets. The sponsor is appraised on progress of member engagement and service performance metrics through scorecards that are sent during the plan year.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Humana Inc.
    Inventors: Beth Bierbower, Traci Elliot, Beth Grice, Khalid Nazir, Rick Remmers, Benjamin Slen, Melissa L. Weaver, Patrick Bryan
  • Consistent set of interfaces derived from a business object model
    Patent number: 8744937
    Abstract: A business object model, which reflects data that used during a given business transaction, is utilized to generate interfaces This business object model facilitates commercial transactions by providing consistent interfaces that are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: SAP AG
    Inventors: Michael Seubert, Jochen A. Rasch, Axel Kuehl, Dirk Becker, Daniel Bock, Giovanni Deledda, Ralf Dielschneider, Robert Doerner, Philippe Drouin, Karsten Egetoft, Werner Gnan, Daniel Goldmann, Patrick Gross, Joachim Kenntner, Adam Kiwon, Arndt Koester, Thilo Kraehmer, Andreas Krompholz, Corinne Kuster, Otto Makris, Ramesh Nn, Dietmar Nowotny, Markus A. Peter, Michael Redmann, Jan Stephan, Sergej Stotz, Frank Thome, Burkhard Weiss, Rudolf Winkel
  • Methods systems and computer program products for applying tax refund as tax payment
    Patent number: 8738478
    Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products for paying tax owed with a refund through an intermediary when a taxpayer owes tax to one tax authority and is entitled to a refund from another tax authority. The intermediary may be an intermediate computer that electronically filed respective tax returns and may host the tax preparation application that was used to prepare the tax returns. The intermediate computer may wait to pay one tax authority until after a refund is received from a different tax authority.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Intuit Inc.
    Inventors: Justin C. Marr, Cheng-Cheng Lok, Ronald J. Char, Robert H. Warrington
  • System and method for securing data through a PDA portal
    Patent number: 8738532
    Abstract: Consumers may utilize computing devices to assist in the purchase and/or loyalty process, and in particular, the consumer may utilize a PDA to facilitate the purchase and/or loyalty process. During the purchase and/or loyalty process, the consumer may need to insure that any content downloaded or used in association with the PDA is secure in how it is collected, assembled, and delivered to the PDA device. This system and method secures the data from its source to when it is actually viewed or used by the authorized user. The exemplary system and method may establish a PDA portal link to the web site for collecting specified information for a user and transmitting the information to the remote device. To receive the information, the PDA contacts the portal and establishes a connection, authenticates itself to the network and allows the user to complete secured transactions or transmissions over the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Propulsion Remote Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Fauziah B. Ariff, Fred Bishop, Trey Neemann, Theodore S. Voltmer
  • Methods and apparatus for implementing an ensemble merchant prediction system
    Patent number: 8738486
    Abstract: A computer-based method for discovering patterns in financial transaction card transaction data for the purpose of determining group membership of a merchant within the transaction data is described. The data relates to merchants that accept the financial transaction card for payment. The method includes receiving transaction data from at least one database, predicting a membership of a merchant in a group using at least one prediction algorithm and the retrieved transaction data, the algorithm generating meta-data describing the predictions, inputting the at least one predicted group membership and the meta-data into a data mining application, and assigning a confidence value to each predicted group membership by the data mining application, utilizing the predicted group memberships and the meta-data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: MasterCard International Incorporated
    Inventor: Thomas McGeehan
  • Processing payment items
    Patent number: 8719160
    Abstract: Payment items are received and processed in the course of a financial transaction. For example, a paying bank may receive an electronic transmission corresponding to a imaged check from a depositing bank. The paying bank may attempt to identify a reason for return within the payment item. If a reason for return is found, a determination may be made that the payment item is a re-clear payment item that has been previously transmitted by the depositing bank and returned by the paying bank. After determining that a payment item is a re-clear, the item may be processed within the paying bank along an abbreviated processing path for faster and less costly item processing. For example, in systems in which duplicate detection is performed on payment items, re-clear items may be classified separately and need not undergo certain automated and/or manual duplicate detection processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Bank of America
    Inventors: George Miller Abernethy, Tony England, Clarence Lee
  • Post deployment query system
    Patent number: 8719119
    Abstract: A system and operations include software, servers, templates, databases, and user interfaces for initializing and deploying insurance products and offerings into test runtime environments, modeling runtime environments, and commercial product runtime environments. The system may process an insurance product offering having insurance product components based on a package manifest. The package manifest provides executables and information that enables execution of the insurance product components in conjunction with third party engine servers to access third party and/or legacy insurance related data and systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Wargin, Andy I-Hong Chen, Richard Carl Brandt
  • Financial management system and method with debt management
    Patent number: 8719132
    Abstract: A computer-implemented data processing system includes a data storage device and a processor and program logic stored in memory and executable by the processor. The program logic may include account management logic coupled to the data storage device to manage accounts respectively associated with a plurality of users, and interface logic coupled to the account management logic and the data storage device to connect the data processing system to computing systems associated with the plurality of users by way of the Internet, the interface logic providing the users with web access to an on-line banking area of a website of a financial institution, the interface logic further configured to establish a connection with one of the users and provide the user with a user interface. The user interface may be customizable based on inputs received from the user to provide selected ones of display modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
    Inventors: Andrew J. Diggdon, John Maher, Karen Lynne Moore, Yon Wing Lee, Brian Paul McMahon
  • Method and apparatus for evaluating the impact of venture capital investment agreement provisions on payoffs to investors and entrepreneurs
    Patent number: 8719139
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for evaluating an impact of enterprise investment agreement provisions on payoffs to equity holders, including investors and entrepreneurs. An investment agreement evaluator comprises a data collector, analyzer and report generator. One embodiment evaluates the impact of Venture Capital term sheet provisions. The data collector gathers information which includes term sheet provisions, enterprise forecasts and market forecasts. The analyzer determines the probability distribution for future payoffs to equity holders and estimates the current market value of equity held by equity holders. The report generator presents the evaluator results. Another embodiment analyzes definitive VC investment agreements. Other embodiments are described and shown through the use of the evaluator, entrepreneurs increasing their effectiveness in negotiating VC deals, VC attorneys expanding value-added services and increasing customer satisfaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Inventor: Darek Smyk
  • System and method for displaying a constant time selection context menu interface
    Patent number: 8713478
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for a context menu pop-up interface. In one embodiment, the context menu interface may be activated in relation to a second interface, and may include a plurality of selection areas organized around a central selection area. In a preferred embodiment, the sizes of each of the plurality of selection areas increase as a distance to each selection area increases from the central selection area, and the sizes are selected such that the plurality of selection areas can be selected in approximately the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Trading Technologies International, Inc
    Inventor: Brian J. Buck
  • Method, computer system, computer program and computer program product for storage and retrieval of data files in a data storage means
    Patent number: 8706686
    Abstract: A method and a computer system for storing data files in a data memory, wherein meta attributes comprising subject attributes, object attributes and relationships between these attributes are assigned to a data file. The meta attributes are selected from a meta attribute model or a knowledge card in which the meta attributes are structured in accordance with their meaning and context. A respective datafile is stored in the data memory on the basis of the meta attributes assigned thereto. The meta attributes assigned to a data file can be added to the data file or can be associated with the data file by means of a unique link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Split-Vision Kennis B.V.
    Inventor: Antonius Nicolaas Adrianus Van Der Heijden
  • Variable learning rate automated decisioning
    Patent number: 8706545
    Abstract: Methods and related system are described for making decisions. A described method includes selecting a choice from the available choices, receiving an outcome relating to the selected choice, and automatically learning from the received outcome by incorporating the received outcome into subsequent steps of selecting a choice. The method may also include calculating estimated probabilities associated with the each choice using Bayesian networks. The automated learning can be based on a learning rate which is variable with time, and influences the degree on which prior outcomes are relied upon when calculating an estimated probability associated with a choice. The learning rate can be a function of time and an estimate of drift of the probability associated with the selected choice.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Fair Isaac Corporation
    Inventors: Deenadayalan Narayanaswamy, Marc-david Cohen, Zhenyu Yan
  • Mobile phone based rebate device for redemption at a point of sale terminal
    Patent number: 8700457
    Abstract: Virtual mobile rewards, gift cards, and/or physical world retailers' loyalty and reward programs are aggregated into a common account accessible and transactional from an Internet capable mobile radio device. Subscribers gain access to discounted codes, coupons, rebates, gift cards, and/or limited time offers, on their mobile device for food, travel, lifestyle, electronics, and entertainment products that fit their lifestyle spending habits, enabling users to edit participating retailers, manage separate account balances, and present preferred discounted offers at retailers and apply discount towards purchase of goods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Inventor: Michael Craft
  • Consistent set of interfaces derived from a business object model
    Patent number: 8694397
    Abstract: Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide a data processing system having a business object model reflecting the data used during a business transaction. Consistent interfaces are generated from the business object model. These interfaces are suitable for use across industries, across businesses, and across different departments within a business during a business transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: SAP AG
    Inventors: Michael Seubert, Jochen Rasch, Axel Kuehl, Stefan Adelmann, Gabriel Alvarez, Markus Biehler, Daniel Bock, Andreas Bold, Andreas Brossler, Daniel Buchmann, Renzo Colle, Robert Doerner, Stefan Elfner, Stefan Franke, Werner Gnan, Antonia Gross, Toralf Grossmann, Gerhard Gschwender, Joerg Hendricks, Wolf Hengevoss, Stephan Hetzer, Christine Hofmann, Volker Jaeck, Bernhard Kelnberger, Johann Kemmer, Joachim Kenntner, Adam Kiwon, Karsten Koetter, Thilo Kraehmer, Corinne Kuster, Christoph Lehner, Werner Liebold, Thomas Maag, Otto Makris, Andreas Morsch, Wolfgang Nieswand, Thomas Nitschke, Dietmar Nowotny, Markus Peter, Georg Podhajsky, Dominic Poetschke, Uwe Pyka, Ruediger Radcke, Gregor Rieken, Volker Ripp, Gerd Ritter, Paola Sala, Daniela Schapler, Matthias Schmitt, Andreas Schneider, Arnulf Schueler, Dagmar Schultze, Reiner Seyler, Ralf Sievers, Gunther Stuhec, Frank Thome, Andre Wagner, Rudolf Winkel, Tao Yu, Jens Zachmann, Renato Zadro, Theo Zimmerman, Michael Zoeller
  • Methods and systems for utilizing intellectual property assets and rights
    Patent number: 8694419
    Abstract: A method of utilizing an intellectual property grouping owned by a patent entity to generate income. The method includes acquiring rights in a first intellectual property asset from a seller on behalf of a patent investment entity, providing compensation to the seller in exchange for the first intellectual property asset, granting less than all of the rights in the first intellectual property asset to the seller of the intellectual property asset in exchange for a stream of payments, wherein granting less than all of the rights in the first intellectual property asset creates residual rights in the first intellectual property asset, and utilizing the residual rights in the first intellectual property asset to generate income for the patent investment entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Ocean Tomo, LLC
    Inventors: James E. Malackowski, Robert Block, Andrew Carter, Mark Rubin
  • System for establishing health care reimbursements
    Patent number: 8694338
    Abstract: A third party scoring entity establishes a market-based scoring system which can be used to generate a supply efficiency score to be assigned to a service provider seeking to begin providing a service in a territory. The supply efficiency score is indicative of the need for additional capacity to supply the service. The supply efficiency score is supplied to payers designated by the service provider and the payers will use the score to determine a reimbursement rate for the professional services provided based upon existing market saturation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Enable Quality Health, LLC
    Inventor: Michael D. Samms
  • Method and system for content sampling and identification
    Patent number: 8688248
    Abstract: A method and system for content sampling (106) and identification is presented. A data stream is recorded, and samples of the stream are identified. Samples (106) can be initially taken at random for identification. Once a sample (106) is identified and segmented within the data stream, the next time to sample (106) may be calculated to be outside the time frame of the identified sample (106). Thus, the sampling period can be adaptively adjusted to be at times after identified tracks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Shazam Investments Limited
    Inventor: Avery Li-Chun Wang
  • Redemption of credit card rewards at a point of sale
    Patent number: 8682791
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for redeeming rewards at a merchant's point-of-sale. The reward redemption takes place in real time and can be accomplished without the active participation of the merchant. A single credit card with no additional information may be used with a single swipe from the consumer to access both credit and rewards accounts, such that a single authorization request is made to encompass both rewards and credit. Merchants can be fully compensated for transactions by the issuer despite the customer's choice to redeem rewards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Discover Financial Services
    Inventors: Maureen J. Bies, Bradford P. Hawley
  • Systems and methods for implementing a confirmation period
    Patent number: 8682781
    Abstract: Systems and methods for implementing a confirmation period are disclosed. An example method includes identifying a market condition associated with a quantity of a tradeable object of a trading strategy, wherein the market condition triggers an adjustment to the trading strategy; initiating a confirmation period in response to the market condition; when a reevaluation of the market condition during the confirmation period indicates that the market condition has ceased, preventing the adjustment to the trading strategy; and when the market condition persists throughout the confirmation period, proceeding with the adjustment to the trading strategy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Trading Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventor: Patricia A. Messina