Patents Examined by F. Zeender
  • Patent number: 8301520
    Abstract: The present invention is integrated tax return preparation systems and methods that provide a taxpayer with options related to review and signing of a tax return by a tax professional. The integrated systems and methods are computer-based and web-based online tax return preparation systems and tax software used by taxpayers to prepare their own electronic tax returns. Communications with a tax professional and various forms of automated electronic communications are supported so that taxpayers that prepare their own tax returns using a self-preparation tax product may have them reviewed and signed by a tax professional. Signature and review service options that are available from a retail tax preparation service and typically available to only customers of the tax preparation service are also provided to taxpayers who prepare their own tax returns using an online tax preparation system or tax software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: H&R Block Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Neal Shaw, Aaron Horvath
  • Patent number: 8296052
    Abstract: A method for generating a swath pattern avoiding point rows for a work vehicle to be driven in a region of a field, which region can be described as having a first side boundary and an opposite second side boundary extending divergently between a first and an opposite second end boundary, the method generating a swath pattern including side by side swaths having centerlines that diverge uniformly between the end boundaries, the method also generating a plurality of swath patterns including options for disabling one or more individual rows of an implement for selection by an operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Inventors: Peter J. Dix, Keith Wendte
  • Patent number: 8296197
    Abstract: Turnkey maintenance of a customer's aircraft fleet is managed by a single management service provider (MSP) controlling integrated maintenance and materials services from a central operations site. The MSP converts data received directly from on-board aircraft systems into information it uses to manage maintenance service providers and parts suppliers. The MSP contracts with and manages maintenance, repair and overhaul organizations (MROs) who perform the maintenance on the customers' aircraft at line and base stations. The MSP either remotely manages part inventories at the customer's site, or manages suppliers who deliver the parts to the MROs. Maintenance planning, scheduling and execution information is exchanged between the MSP, MROs, part suppliers and the customers through a shared data communication network controlled by the MSP. The MSP charges the customer for the maintenance services based on a flat rate per unit of aircraft flying time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Robert L. Avery, Wendy Cronie, Erik Fromm, Margaret Nomi, Cheryl Khera, Paula M. Kirkish, David R. Leonhardi, Jay P. Maloney, Matthew Bueser, Grant T. Thacker, Stephen T. Lane
  • Patent number: 8290814
    Abstract: A self-checkout system, particularly for retail areas of constrained floor space, has a small to zero footprint while being fully functional. In one form, the self-checkout comprises a unit mountable to a wall, pillar, or other support. In another form, the self-checkout has or is part of a columnar support. The self-checkout system has security in the form of video and weight verification. A visual and/or audio indicator provides indicia of modes of use of the self-checkout. The self-checkout further includes an interactive customer interface terminal, a scanner, and a scale. The self-checkout provides an open visual area that allows easy viewing by store personnel of transactions being performed on the self-checkout system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventors: Joanne Walter, James Morrison, Horng Jaan Lin
  • Patent number: 8285607
    Abstract: A product inventory management system including a cabinet configured to contain an inventory of product units having RFID tags and further configured to monitor the inventory by wirelessly detecting the RFID tags, and a server system configured to communicate over a network with the cabinet, the server system capable of managing the inventory of the cabinet. There is also a method for product inventory management, including receiving, in a server system and via a network, inventory data from a cabinet, the inventory data corresponding to an inventory of product units stored in the cabinet, and generating an order to have additional product units added to the cabinet according to the cabinet inventory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Amerisourcebergen Specialty Group
    Inventor: Dale Danilewitz
  • Patent number: 8285610
    Abstract: A system is provided for determining the quality of merchant supplied enhanced data related to financial transactions performed by holders of financial presentation devices such as credit cards. The system includes a memory storing a plurality of enhanced transaction data (ETD) records and quality check criteria for determining the quality of enhanced data contained in the ETD records. A quality determination module determines a quality of the stored ETD records based on the stored quality check criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Traci Engle, Amr Alghussain
  • Patent number: 8280790
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a system and method for projecting billing of a specified server configuration. In some embodiments, the projected billing is determined by identifying a set of allocated resources for the server configuration. In some embodiments, the set of resources include an amount of allocated RAM, network bandwidth, disk storage, processing power, etc. The set of resources are then projected over a billing period. Some embodiments determine a projection for the configuration as each component of the configuration is specified within a graphical user interface. Additionally, some embodiments determine a projection for the configuration after the entire configuration is specified within the graphical user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Gogrid, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Lappas, John Martin Keagy, Nicholas F. Peterson
  • Patent number: 8275664
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to cashless transactions. In particular, the present invention relates to methods (100) for conducting cashless transactions and systems (400, 500) for implementing said methods. In a first aspect there is provided a method (100) of processing a cashless transaction. The method includes, determining (102) a first identification from a first identification device (426); pre-authorising (104) the cashless transaction on the basis of first identification; determining (106) a second identification from a second identification device (420A); and in the event that the first identification and the second identification are associated, authorising (110) the cashless transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
    Inventors: David Ramsdale, Robert Dennett, Gino Dompietro
  • Patent number: 8266023
    Abstract: An information model for a party and property records management system includes a legal party role object for maintaining relationships between objects, such as legal party objects and revenue-object objects, within the information model. A legal party object could have several associated objects, such as an identification number object or a legal party communication object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Manatron, Inc.
    Inventors: Jennings Wayne Moore, Larry Joseph Deniston, Terry Lee Merkle, Douglas Alan Bennett, Robert James Golisek
  • Patent number: 8265989
    Abstract: Example systems, methods, processes, and apparatus for determining expected base sales for a product include obtaining sales data for a product sold at a point of sale location. The sales data can be organized in a time series according to a predetermined time period. The method further includes identifying a promotional event for at least one of the product and the point of sale location and excluding sales data corresponding to the promotional event. The remaining sales data is processed using a smoothed moving average model involving a plurality of passes through the remaining sales data. Expected base data for the product is generated based on the smoothed moving average model and output to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company, LLC
    Inventors: James Dodge, John Donmyer, Frank J. Slavik
  • Patent number: 8266019
    Abstract: A method of optimizing the retrieval of object-associated information may include identifying data associated with an object identification. At least one optimization parameter for the retrieval of data associated with an object identification is also identified. An amount of the associated data for transmission is determined using the at least one optimization parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Nina Bhatti, Nicholas Lyons, John C. Schettino, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8266024
    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 processing 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: August 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Syncada LLC
    Inventors: Dean W. Hahn-Carlson, Elizabeth A. Beck, David A. Suits
  • Patent number: 8260673
    Abstract: Parties involved in a transaction in an E-marketplace identify characteristics of a transaction that they are willing to accept and/or that they can provide. To do this, an attribute certificate is created for each party that contains the attributes of a buyer, seller, or third-party participant who will be transacting business in the particular E-marketplace. The attributes pertain to specifics of the transaction. The party submitting the attribute also identifies alternative conditions which, if they exist would be acceptable for conducting the transaction. Once these criteria, in the form of the attribute certificates, are received by the E-marketplace, the E-marketplace verifies the attributes. A server in the E-marketplace is configured to determine various combinations of participants that can match the deal criteria. In this manner, the E-marketplace “choreographs” the transaction to meet the needs of all.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gordon K. Arnold, David G. Kuehr-McLaren
  • Patent number: 8249954
    Abstract: Third party certification using enhanced claim validation, in which identification information uniquely identifying an item that has moved through a node in a supply chain is received and event data associated with the uniquely identified item is received from the node based on receiving the identification information. The process also includes performing a third party validation of an associated characteristic of the uniquely identified item based on the received event data, and providing a third party certification of the associated characteristic based on performing the third party validation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Aginfolink, Holdings, Inc., A BVI Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew J. Dolan, William R. Pape
  • Patent number: 8244454
    Abstract: This invention relates to a navigation device (200) comprising: an input interface (220, 240) configured to enable a user to select a destination; a processor (210); and a display (240) controllable by the processor; characterized in that the navigation device (200) further comprises: a store (230) for building data, said building data being representative of the shape of buildings at each of a plurality of destinations, and a destination view generation module (490) for generating, from building data stored in said store (230) for said user selected destination, a three-dimensional representation of a building at said user selected destination, said processor (210) being responsive to said destination view generation module (490) to control said display (240) to display said three-dimensional representation to said user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: TomTom International B.V.
    Inventor: Simone Francine Tertoolen
  • Patent number: 8219468
    Abstract: Device, system, and method of project planning and management. For example, a method of project planning and management includes: publishing a representation of a project specification comprising one or more discrete objects; publishing a collaborative comment to one or more of the discrete objects; and receiving a supplier proposal to fulfill one or more of the discrete objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Amit Fisher, Sima Nadler, Aya Soffer, Gabi Zodik
  • Patent number: 8209242
    Abstract: Provided is a statistical inventory management system that optimizes inventory investment using historical usage and/or consumption of an inventory component. Generally, the system determines an target inventory level. Once actual inventory is below the replenishment level, an additional supply of an inventory component is ordered. The target inventory level is determined based at least in part on the usage variability of the component. In one arrangement, the usage of the component over periods of time that correspond to a supplier lead-time of that component are utilized. The usage groups generally include several days (or other time periods) of usage data and typically haw a reduced variance compared to, for example, day-to-day usage. These reduced variance usage groups may be utilized to more accurately calculate future inventory levels for an inventory component. Further, all information is based on actual historical usage data as opposed to unsupported forecasts (e.g., sales growth forecasts).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Flowvision, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Henderson, David Pytel, Preston McCreary, Gerson Cortes
  • Patent number: 8200553
    Abstract: A system and method for recording and tracking charitable donations over a period of one or more years, and for determining the tax consequence associated with such donations based upon taxing authority guidelines applicable to the time period in which such donations were made. Additionally, a method implemented by software for tracking charitable donations over a period of years whereby a user is prompted to select a donation and a year in which the donation was made for a memory. The software retrieves a tax deduction valuation associated with that donation and stores the donation and value in the memory in association with each other. Another aspect is directed to a system for determining the tax deduction value of charitable donations whereby a partner server electronically captures sales data of items and sends the sales data to a system server that stores such data in memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Intuit Inc.
    Inventors: Scott A. Hermreck, Craig B. Walter, Gordon D. Whitten, Jr., Carey G. Rademacher
  • Patent number: 8195533
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of a self healing andon system. One embodiment of the present disclosure includes a system comprising at least one server. The system further includes logic executed on the at least one server that retrieves a defect history associated with a vendor and at least one product from an inbound shipment from a memory. The at least one product is stocked in a materials handling facility, and the defect history is associated with a specified time period. The at least one server extracts at least one inventory defect from the defect history in a computer system and calculates an inventory defect rate. The at least one server imposes remedial measures if the inventory defect rate exceeds a specified threshold of the inventory defect rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Devesh Mishra, Eric C. Young, Sameer Vinod Shah, Timothy Jesse Tien, Jun Zhao
  • Patent number: 8190458
    Abstract: A method of performing oilfield operations for an oilfield having a subterranean formation with a reservoir therein is provided. The method involves generating a business analysis of the oilfield based on business inputs, generating an operational analysis of the oilfield based on operational inputs, and selectively integrating the business analysis with the operational analysis by using the operational outputs as at least a portion of the business inputs and by using the business outputs as at least a portion of the operational inputs to form an integrated oilfield analysis. The business analysis includes business outputs for characterizing the business impact of projects performed on the oilfield. The operational analysis includes operational outputs for characterizing the operational impact of projects performed on the oilfield. The integrated oilfield analysis includes integrated oilfield outputs for characterizing the business and operational impact of projects performed on the oilfield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Back, Daniel Fichter, Doug MacDonald, Peter Tyler, Roger Gallant, Dave Mason