Patents Examined by F. Ryan Zeender
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Patent number: 9092765Abstract: A retail store purchasing system has a plurality of wearable mobile scanner systems with mobile tablet devices integration capability therein adapted to be carried by employees. Each wearable mobile scanner system comprises a mobile tablet device attached to a wearable base housing directly below it, and connected by a base mount universal receiver with rotational coupling. The Main PCB has an EEPROM controlling operations of a USB scanner and MSR. The mobile tablet device has an application which allows wireless communication with a POS store systems server and also commands the EEPROM. A product to be purchased is scanned by activating a button associated with said wearable mobile scanner system. This scanned data is received through the Main PCB to the mobile tablet device USB port and is sent wirelessly to the POS store systems server to obtain product data concerning description, price, inventory and promotions.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2013Date of Patent: July 28, 2015Assignee: Retail Technologies CorporationInventors: Bruce J. Hicks, Brian K. McWhirter, DeVan McArthur, Bromley Williams
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Patent number: 8620708Abstract: A progress status management device and a method for managing a progress status are provided so that a progress status of respective processes in a project is visually and swiftly confirmed. By using the device and method, it is possible to prevent a delay of the project progress because the processing states of processes at an optional stage of the project are shared and easily grasped by managers and workers among departments and outside business partners in charge of the project.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2008Date of Patent: December 31, 2013Assignee: Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyake, Hisanori Nonaka, Kenji Araki, Kenji Akagi, Masatoshi Takada
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Patent number: 8457855Abstract: An accelerator reaction force control apparatus has an accelerator position detecting device that detects an accelerator position and a reaction force varying device that varies a reaction force of an accelerator. The reaction force varying device increases the accelerator's reaction force beyond a base reaction force in response to the accelerator position being equal to or larger than a reaction force increase threshold, and decreases the accelerator's reaction force toward the base reaction force in response to the accelerator position becoming equal to or smaller than a reaction force increase cancellation threshold after the reaction force has been increased beyond the base reaction force. The reaction force varying device varies a reaction force decrease rate at which the accelerator's reaction force is decreased based on an accelerator position change condition existing at a time when the accelerator position becomes equal to or smaller than the reaction force increase cancellation threshold.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2010Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shigeyuki Sakaguchi, Masao Shiomi, Masahiro Omori
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Patent number: 8355966Abstract: A method for using a website, including detecting, using an agent executing on a central processing unit (CPU) and operatively coupled to a financial management application (FMA), a user accessing a webpage of the website by comparing a web address submitted by the user to a pre-determined web address of the webpage, analyzing the webpage based on a pre-determined template to identify a data entry field, identifying, using the agent executing on the CPU, data managed within the FMA for populating the data entry field, wherein the data is identified by comparing the data entry field to a data model of the FMA, retrieving the data managed within the FMA to generate retrieved data, and populating, using the agent executing on the CPU, the data entry field using the retrieved data based on the data model of the FMA.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2010Date of Patent: January 15, 2013Assignee: Intuit Inc.Inventors: Miriam Nga-Shun Vu, Nedda Cox, Julie Stanford
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Patent number: 8315926Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for implementing a software architecture design for a software application implementing tax declaration. The application is structured as multiple process components interacting with each other through service interfaces, and multiple service interface operations, each being implemented for a respective process component. The process components include an Accounting process component, a Due Item Processing process component, and a Payment Processing process component.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2008Date of Patent: November 20, 2012Assignee: SAP AGInventors: Cornelia Storr, Ute Ludwig, Martin Von Der Emde, Thomas Hoffmann, Yongbin He, Theo Zimmermann, Dietmar Nowotny
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Patent number: 8311906Abstract: A computerized system and method for managing parts shortages is disclosed. The computerized system and method analyzes inventory and production demand data over a period of time to whether the parts in inventory are sufficient to meet production demand. The projections allow a logistics provider to determine when parts shortages are likely to occur and the nature of the potential shortages. Information about the type and time of potential parts shortages allow the logistics provider to take action to prevent shortages entirely or minimize their impact on production. Some shortages may be covered by requesting delivery of parts from various locations within the site inventory or by locating parts within the site inventory. Other shortages may be covered by ordering more parts from suppliers. The ability to detect various types of shortages and take mitigating actions allow a logistics provider to maintain a flow of parts to production.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2009Date of Patent: November 13, 2012Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Midwest Express Inc.Inventors: John Campbell, Hiroshi Kawaguchi, Joseph Lewis, Masahiko Minamikawa, Steven Swank, Toshihide Tanaka
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Patent number: 8239294Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus for providing a variety of end product build plans based on multiple business scenarios for exhausting excess inventory. Raw financial data and variable scaling factors are input into a scenario engine component along with a business objective that contains logic. The scaling factor may be embedded within the logic of the business objective, or it may be selected by a user to indicate the user's preferences. The scenario engine then applies the financial data and variable scaling factor inputs to the business objective logic to generate modified financial data. The logic of the business objective may also be manipulated to provide modified logic. The modified financial data, and optionally the modified logic, are then input into an optimizer component for determining multiple portfolios for end products that, if built, would consume excess inventory.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2010Date of Patent: August 7, 2012Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Vikas Agrawal, Thomas R. Ervolina, Yunhee Jang
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Patent number: 8170930Abstract: Systems and methods are provided which make use of outbound calling systems to automate notification campaigns. Automated campaigns using outbound calling systems can provide a number of significant advantages over the traditional notification campaign, potentially resulting in faster, more efficient, more accurate, and more cost-effective notification campaigns.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2006Date of Patent: May 1, 2012Assignee: Metavante CorporationInventors: Steven T. Brown, Kathleen R. Werth
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Patent number: 8073739Abstract: A system to deliver a digital good from a seller to a buyer is disclosed. The system includes an interface to receive a digital goods package from the seller, the digital goods package including the digital good and a buyer identifier. A digital goods database is provided to store the digital goods package, with an identifier extractor being provided to extract the buyer identifier from the digital goods package. The system further includes a notifier to notify the buyer, based on the buyer identifier, that the digital good has been received from the seller and is ready to be collected by the buyer, wherein, after having sent the notification that the digital good is ready to be collected, the system allows the buyer to access and retrieve the digital good.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2005Date of Patent: December 6, 2011Assignee: eBay Inc.Inventor: Eskander Kazim
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Patent number: 8032429Abstract: A method, identification tag, data signal, and service for asset management are disclosed. Identification data may be retrieved from an identification tag. The identification data may include a first data element comprising a global routing prefix and a second data element comprising an asset identifier. Based on the global routing prefix, a uniform resource locator may be determined for a selected asset lookup service. Based on the determined uniform resource locator, the received asset identifier may be sent to the asset lookup service.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2004Date of Patent: October 4, 2011Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventor: Steven Shafer
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Patent number: 8010409Abstract: An article sales data processing apparatus has an electronic tag data memory and an article item buffer. In the case where the same data as electronic tag data read by an electronic tag reader is not stored in the electronic tag data memory, the read electronic tag data is added to the electronic tag data memory. When the operating mode is switched to the cancel mode, data in the electronic tag data memory is cleared. In the case where the input mode is selected, article sales data is acquired based on the electronic tag data added to the electronic tag data memory and the acquired article sales data is added to an article item buffer. In the case where the cancel mode is selected, the article sales data acquired based on the electronic tag data added to the electronic tag data memory is deleted from the article item buffer.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2007Date of Patent: August 30, 2011Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yuji Iida
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Patent number: 8010417Abstract: A system and process for establishing prices for products on line and for allowing acquisition of those products from retailers that honor such prices. The system and process involve a customer having a credit card account, a computer terminal configured to access a network, and a central authority coupled to the computer terminal via the network. The central authority maintains information about a product and a corresponding price. The price is established by the central authority and the central authority is configured to communicate the information about the product and the price to the customer via the network. Also involved is a credit card processor that is coupled to the central authority. The credit card processor is configured to query the information maintained by the central authority and to receive the price from the central authority. A retailer is involved and includes a point-of-sale system coupled to the central authority and to the credit card processor.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2006Date of Patent: August 30, 2011Assignee: Walker Digital, LLCInventors: Jay S. Walker, James A. Jorasch, Andrew S. Van Luchene
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Patent number: 8005568Abstract: A method of tracking trays through a delivery system. The method comprises: generating an enhanced label, the enhanced label comprising a routing code and a label unique identifier, the enhanced label being applied to the tray; associating a tray with a container, the container having a container unique identifier; and receiving a load container scan, the load container scan associating the container unique identifier with the enhanced label.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2004Date of Patent: August 23, 2011Assignee: United States Postal ServiceInventor: Daryl Hamilton
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Patent number: 8003068Abstract: An air pollution control system comprises: a carry-in tank truck that carries in a feedstock, i.e., concentrated hydrochloric acid (35% hydrochloric acid); a hydrogen chloride vaporizer that vaporizes the concentrated hydrochloric acid to obtain hydrogen chloride; a liquid level regulator that separates residual hydrogen chloride from extracted dilute hydrochloric acid discharged as a by-product from the hydrogen chloride vaporizer, and that regulates the liquid level of the hydrogen chloride vaporizer; a concentration regulating tank that regulates the hydrochloric acid concentration of extracted dilute hydrochloric acid 25B from which the residual hydrogen chloride has been separated to a predetermined concentration (e.g., 22%); a by-product tank that stores therein dilute hydrochloric acid regulated to have a predetermined concentration; and a carry-out tank truck that carries out the dilute hydrochloric acid with a predetermined concentration discharged from the by-product tank.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2009Date of Patent: August 23, 2011Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Yoshio Nakayama, Susumu Okino, Nobuyuki Ukai, Moritoshi Murakami, Shintaro Honjo
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Patent number: 8001020Abstract: A system and method for maintaining budget related transactions in a financial management system. A financial management system may include a general ledger to maintain account balances and a budgetary ledger to maintain account balances only for budget related transactions. The budgetary ledger may generate a budgetary ledger document, which contains budget related transactions. The budgetary ledger may further include a core to enable generation of the budgetary ledger document, and an extension to define rules associated with generation of the budgetary ledger document. The budgetary ledger may then post the budgetary ledger document to the general ledger.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2009Date of Patent: August 16, 2011Assignee: SAP AGInventors: Wolfgang Hahn, Frank Godeby
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Patent number: 7996284Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for implementing a field supply chain logistics system for managing spare parts inventory. In one embodiment, the method comprises: identifying locations for field service locations (FSLs) field warehouses for the spare parts, based on time or distance windows to deliver the parts to the field locations each FSL serves; collecting and validating data to compute optimal field inventory levels and minimum inventory levels for non-field warehouse, the non-field warehouse including central stock; physically setting up FSLs so that the FSLs functions as field warehouses and receive plug requests; generating optimal inventory profiles; opening FSLs for service; conducting plug inventory to retrieve plug excess and deploy new levels; and conducting after implementation review to verify that processes are being followed as expected and document lessons learned.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2006Date of Patent: August 9, 2011Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.Inventors: Hena M. Bar, Ronald D. Worthen
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Patent number: 7991660Abstract: A multi-user information processing method for managing and determining tax provision information that includes a source database storing data for determining tax provision information; a calculation engine for performing information processing operations on the data stored in the source database for determining tax provision information; a transformed database for storing tax provision information determined by the calculation engine; and a reporting engine for producing reports using information from the transformed database.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2009Date of Patent: August 2, 2011Assignee: Thomson Reuters (Tax & Accounting) Services Inc.Inventors: Kevin P. Brady, Shane T. Naughton
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Patent number: 7979310Abstract: A method is provided for electronically ordering items. The method includes receiving consolidation information at a server computer. The consolidation information includes at least one consolidation criterion for determining how to consolidate purchase requests. The method further includes receiving a plurality of requests to purchase one or more items at the server computer and evaluating the requests, using the consolidation criterion. A purchase order, containing the items meeting the consolidation criteria, is transmitted from the server computer to a supplier a purchase order containing the items meeting the consolidation criterion.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2005Date of Patent: July 12, 2011Assignee: Omnicell, Inc.Inventors: Aparna Pujar, Chalapathi Rao
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Patent number: 7979327Abstract: A quality control method for a constant velocity universal joint 13 includes a step of attaching an IC tag 9 to the constant velocity universal joint 13, a step of recording information in the IC tag 9 about the constant velocity universal joint 13, a utilizing step for reading the information recorded in the IC tag 9 at any arbitrarily chosen time. The IC tag 9 is attached to one of elements 2 such as an outer race 14, an inner race 15, an intermediate shaft 12 and boots 18, all forming respective parts of the constant velocity universal joint 13. This IC tag 9 is recorded with information on, for example, the manufacturing step, the identification number, the date of manufacture and/or the place of manufacture with respect to the elements 2 and the constant velocity universal joint 13.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2005Date of Patent: July 12, 2011Assignee: NTN CorporationInventors: Takeshi Ikeda, Hideki Kondou
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Patent number: 7974892Abstract: A method for expense management. An expense data record is retrieved from a trusted source and two or more sub-transactions are identified. The expense data record is then added to an expense report as two or more expense items corresponding to the two or more sub-transactions.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2005Date of Patent: July 5, 2011Assignee: Concur Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Michael Fredericks, Joseph Dunnick, Valery Gorodnichev, Jeannine Armstrong