Patents Examined by F. Ryan Zeender
  • Method and apparatus to ensure proper geocoding
    Patent number: 7831486
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for verifying customer addresses before using those addresses in an asset tracking system. More specifically, the enhanced asset tracking system can accept multiple characteristics of the location. An operator or GIS system can check that these descriptors are identifying the same location. If descriptors do identify a same location, then the operator or GIS system can allow the location information to pass to the assets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Inventors: James David Main, II, Frank John Rittwager, William Eric Graham, Daniel James Colbert
  • Method and system for assessing and reporting VAT charges for network-based marketplace services
    Patent number: 7827079
    Abstract: A method and system for assessing VAT on marketing services provided via a network-based marketplace are disclosed. VAT is automatically assesses for users of the services having residences in different countries, at least a portion of which require VAT charges for the services. Corresponding data is stored at individual sites operated by the marketplace service. Periodically, VAT-related data are aggregated for each of the plurality of countries to generate respective tax return reports. VAT is accessed for different users based on the country of residence of the user and whether the user has a VAT-exempt status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: eBay Inc.
    Inventors: Yuliya Feldman, Peter Johnson, Samuel Au, Sandeep Bhalla, Shio-Hsien Hubert Tai, Mohana Fulay, Zhenyin Yang
  • Transaction accounting payment and classification system and approach
    Patent number: 7822653
    Abstract: Accounting data is classified to facilitate transaction processing and management. According to an example embodiment, data based rules are implemented for classifying transaction-related data into accounting categories. Accounting information is processed as a function of the data based rules and accordingly automatically classified. This approach involves, for example, the identification of particular data based rules to apply to the accounting information, applying the rules and processing the information accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Syncada LLC
    Inventors: Dean W. Hahn-Carlson, Elizabeth A. Beck, David A. Suits
  • Inventory monitoring system
    Patent number: 7813973
    Abstract: An inventory monitoring system measures changes in weight of an inventory stored on one or more scales. The inventory items are divided into classes by weight, and the system determines the maximum number of items that can be in a combination while maintaining a distinct combined weight. Items are then removed or added, and the change in weight on the scales is correlated to a change in the number of inventory items to track the number of items removed or added over time. In a combined system, scanners are employed to track inventory received or sold, and data from the scanners relating to the items in the inventory is filtered out for comparison to the inventory changes indicated by changes in weight. The system has particular utility for monitoring inventories of cigarettes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Inventrol LLC
    Inventor: Larus Gudbjartsson
  • Image receiving apparatus
    Patent number: 7809612
    Abstract: An image receiving apparatus includes: an image acquisition part for acquiring image data; a display control part 21 for displaying the acquired image data on a monitor screen; an image correction select part 23 for selecting image correction to be made to one frame's worth of image data among the acquired image data; a first charging information display part 24 for displaying charging information on the selected image correction; an order contents determination part for determining order contents for image recording processing based upon all the image data acquired; and a second charging information display part 25 for displaying all the charging information on at least the image correction, prior to determination of the order contents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuya Wada
  • Refrigerator and method of controlling the same
    Patent number: 7808366
    Abstract: A refrigerator and a method of controlling the same. The refrigerator includes: tags attached to goods stored in a storage chamber; a reader, including a plurality of antennas having different identification distances, identifying the tags using the antennas; and a control unit detecting locations of the tags attached to goods stored in the storage chamber using the different identification distances of the antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chang Ho Son, Hoon Kim, Woon Sung Jung, You Na Park, Hye Rim Lee
  • Purchase list having status indicators
    Patent number: 7805335
    Abstract: A method of indicating the status of items in one or more databases includes displaying a list of items of interest, and displaying a visual status indicator for each of the items in the list of items of interest, wherein the visual status indicator is configured to indicate the status of the item of interest. A system for indicating the status of items in one or more databases includes means for displaying a list of items of interest, and means for displaying a visual status indicator for each of the items in the list of items of interest, wherein the visual status indicator is configured to indicate the status of the item of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: SAP AG
    Inventors: Holger Wittmer, Andreas Freitag
  • System and method for managing the development and manufacturing of a beverage
    Patent number: 7801777
    Abstract: A system and method for managing the development and manufacturing process of a beverage is disclosed. The method comprises capturing and recording the development and manufacturing history of the beverage in order to generate a product history. The product history is stored on a computer and is searchable in multiple data dimensions in order to easily retrieve information. The system automatically provides compliance management procedures in order to comply with regulatory standards for the beverage industry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Anjali R. Kataria, Kamlesh Rashmi Desai, Vinay R. Ambekar
  • Method of controlling product inventory
    Patent number: 7801776
    Abstract: A business method and system for executing the method that involves gathering merchandise orders at a show in the home of a hostess. The method compiles the merchandise orders while maintaining a relationship between each individual order and information pertaining to the guest making the order. The guest information maintains an association with the order throughout the method such that each order made at the show may be individually packaged and labeled, obviating the need for the hostess to sort the ordered items upon receiving them from a warehouse. The system stores records of all purchased items and maintains a running inventory of each item, accessible by the consultants so they may warn customers of potentially low inventories. The database also facilitates returns and exchanges of purchased items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: CAbi, LLC
    Inventors: Kimberly Inskeep, Scott Farquhar
  • System for optimizing bulk product allocation, transportation and blending
    Patent number: 7797205
    Abstract: A computer application loaded on a computer readable medium, a computer apparatus comprising the same, and process employing the same, is described herein. The computer application, when executed, causes a computer to optimize, for maximum net profit margin, the product allocation, transportation routing, transportation vehicle/route scheduling and, optionally, blending, of bulk products that are produced by and loaded from supply locations and delivered to and consumed by demand locations, using a heterogeneous fleet of transportation vehicles over a pre-defined period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Jin-Hwa Song, Kevin C. Furman, Gary R. Kocis, Michael K. McDonald, Philip H. Warrick, Chad D. Reimann
  • Fraudulent address database
    Patent number: 7797199
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system and method to collect information about potentially suspect addresses across many members of a commerce platform or a fraudulent address database system, thus reducing the chance of exposure to fraudulent charges for merchants providing services as members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Rearden Commerce, Inc.
    Inventors: David Forshaw, Thembile Mtwa, Sean Handel
  • Method and system for calculating an environmental score for a business unit
    Patent number: 7797183
    Abstract: A method and system for calculating an environmental score are described and generally related to calculating a score for a separately accountable business unit, where the score is indicative of external costs for the business unit. A computer system for calculating a score for a separately accountable business unit, the score being indicative of a level of unaccounted for external environmental cost of economic activities of the separately accountable business unit, the system includes accessing means for accessing accounts data indicative of recognized costs for the separately accountable business unit, accounts processing means for processing the accounts data by adding external environmental costs to the recognized costs and for calculating the score for the separately accountable business unit using the processed accounts data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Trucost PLC
    Inventors: Daniel Lopez Dias, Rafiq Manji, Andrew Jacobs, Simon Thomas
  • Service plan product and associated system
    Patent number: 7797252
    Abstract: A service plan product providing a tangible representation of a service plan includes a support backer and a tag removably coupled with the backer. The tag includes service plan account identification means corresponding to a service plan account stored in a database and plan administrator contact indicia. The tag is configured to be removed from the backer and applied to a primary product for which the service plan is provided, and wherein only the service plan account identification means is required for the service plan administrator to access the database to identify details regarding the service plan account. Related systems and methods are also disclosed and provide additional advantages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Target Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Rosskamm, Joseph Brenny, Steven Orzel, Stephen L. Eastman
  • Itemized receipt tracking system
    Patent number: 7783515
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to apparatuses, systems, methods, and computer program products for: (1) receiving transaction data from a transaction involving a consumer, where the transaction data comprises product-level information; (2) storing the transaction data in memory; and/or (3) posting the transaction data to an account accessible to the consumer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: Puneet Kumar, Debashis Ghosh, Matthew Brian Cincera, Sudeshna Banerjee
  • Container management method and container management system
    Patent number: 7783531
    Abstract: A container stock management technique in a hospital and a culture center is provided. A stock management device (1) manages both transfer (outgoing transfer) of cells sampled at the hospital to the culture center, and transfer (incoming transfer) of the cells cultured from the sampled cells at the culture center, to that hospital, with one working code. The ID of containers used individually for the outgoing transfer and the incoming transfer are made to correspond to an identical working code. The optimum transfer route including the procurement of containers is determined by examining the container stock in each of the hospital and the culture center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Sakuma, Noriyuki Haga, Mitsuhiro Enomoto
  • Parking reservation systems and related methods
    Patent number: 7783530
    Abstract: Parking reservation systems and methods for a parking lot having a plurality of individual parking spaces include an electronic database of an inventory of available parking spaces; and at least one processor in communication with the electronic database. The processor can be configured to: (a) accept user input regarding a request for a reserved parking space; (b) automatically reserve a parking space for a patron upon receipt of a payment therefor; (c) generate a confirmation of the reservation for the patron; and (d) automatically adjust the database of the inventory of available spaces based on the reservation. Other systems and methods are configured to identify parking lots with vacancies in a geographical region of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: John Blake Slemmer, Neil Fredrick Rivenburgh
  • Method for automatically determining a fare for the use of chargeable means of transport conveying persons
    Patent number: 7783516
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for automatically determining a fare for utilizing chargeable means of transport conveying persons. According to said method, a credit which is established in a currency that is valid in a first currency zone and is used for automatically deducting the fare when utilizing a means of transport is allocated to a user terminal, a factor for converting the first currency into a second currency that is valid in a second currency zone is defined as soon as the user terminal is utilized in a second currency zone, and fares are automatically determined in the second currency, are converted into the first currency using the defined conversion factor, and are deducted from the credit established in the first currency as long as the user terminal is not utilized in another currency zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: in medias res Gesellschaft fur Kommunikationstechnologien mbH
    Inventors: Bouke C. Stoffelsma, Manfred Feiter
  • Bonus depreciation record and proposal system
    Patent number: 7778892
    Abstract: A system has been invented that enables recording and proposing bonus depreciations, with a variety of advantageous features. The system enables a computing device to receive user-defined bonus depreciations, receive records of assets, and propose values for the bonus depreciations as applied to the assets. Bonus depreciations may be recorded and associated with several different classifications of assets, enabling the right bonus depreciations to be proposed for the right assets as they are recorded. This may include applying several bonus depreciations to the same assets while maximizing bonus depreciations within statutory requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Harish Mukhami, Kimberly A. Nelson, Teresa A. Backes
  • Proximity sensing
    Patent number: 7774242
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for proximity sensing is described and illustrated. In one embodiment, the invention is an apparatus. The apparatus includes a processor. The apparatus also includes a memory coupled to the processor. The apparatus further includes a radio frequency interface coupled to the processor. The apparatus also includes an antenna coupled to the radio frequency interface. The memory embodies an identifier of an associated item along with specific information related to the associated item. The memory also embodies instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to exchange the identifier with similar apparatuses through the radio frequency interface and antenna and cause the processor to compare the specific information with information received from the similar apparatuses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: SAP AG
    Inventors: Uwe Kubach, Christian Decker
  • Building optimization platform and web-based invoicing system
    Patent number: 7774245
    Abstract: A building management and optimization system and method are disclosed. Building services data obtained at the building is received by a building optimization platform through a first communication network. The building optimization platform includes at least one server system for generating an electronic invoice based on the building services use data. A representation of the electronic invoice is transmitted to a user interface through a second communication network for web-based review, editing and approval by a property manager associated with the building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Genea Energy Partners, Inc.
    Inventor: Keith Voysey