Patents Examined by Jagdish Patel
  • Patent number: 8380623
    Abstract: A computer-assisted method for facilitating financial savings. The method includes accepting a funds transfer request by the user of an amount of funds between a funding account and at least one receiving account and accepting, from a user, a designation of an intended purpose of use of the amount of funds and a date of intended use of the amount of funds. The method also includes transferring the amount of funds from the funding account to the at least one receiving account and generating, for display on a graphical banking interface, a graphical representation of the designation of the intended purpose of use of the amount of funds. The method further includes transferring the amount of funds from the at least one receiving account to the funding account on the date of intended use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael S. Ley, Bryan L. Maokrell, Christine Johns, Jennifer Marie Levin, Marleke Smets, Chui-Ling Michelle Moy, David Wisely Vondle
  • Patent number: 8380627
    Abstract: A money processing system includes a terminal device that stores therein as user information, a terminal user identifier for identifying a user and a code used for confirming the user for security reasons entered by the user, judges whether the received user information matches the stored user information when the user information that is entered at a money handling device is received through a port used for data communication with the money handling device, and establishes a connection with the money handling device from which the user information was received via the port if the pieces of the user information match, and the money handling device for entering the user information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Glory Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshitada Fujita
  • Patent number: 8374913
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for comparing an effect of an audio-visual ad on Internet searches. In one example, the method includes receiving a keyword search related to the audio-visual ad and storing the keyword search in a keyword search database, extracting ad related keywords from digitized text of the audio-visual ad and storing the ad related keywords in an ad keyword database, comparing the ad keyword database to the keyword search database, wherein the comparing includes determining an ad effectiveness rank of the audio-visual ad, and storing the ad effectiveness rank of the audio-visual ad in an ad effectiveness database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Yahoo! Inc.
    Inventor: Nirav Bhavsar
  • Patent number: 8374904
    Abstract: Methods, machine readable media, and systems for market forecasting are provided. An example of a method for market forecasting includes modeling market characteristics of market participants for a type of product and deriving variability of an attribute corresponding to a market characteristic coefficient of the type of product for each of the market participants. The method includes resampling from a distribution of the variability of the attribute for each of the market participants and remodeling the market characteristics of the market participants for the type of product using the resampled attribute. The method includes forecasting future market characteristics of the market participants for the type of product according to the remodeled market characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventor: Jerry Z. Shan
  • Patent number: 8374938
    Abstract: A computer implemented method and system are provided for implementing a longevity bond management system for managing hedging of longevity of beneficiaries. The method may include issuing, through a special purpose vehicle, using computer processing components, a longevity bond having returns following a longevity index defined for a reference population of a pre-selected cohort of beneficiaries. The method may additionally include receiving from investors a payment amount for investment in the longevity bond, investing the payment amount in a collateral pool held by a custodian, and receiving cash flows from the investment in the collateral pool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
    Inventors: Guy D. Coughlan, Amit Sinha, Maximo X. Silberberg
  • Patent number: 8364524
    Abstract: In some implementations, techniques are described for customer lead generation and fulfillment through viewer participation in television, cellular or mobile telephone, and Internet-enabled computer or computing device platforms. Participation television may be leveraged to identify potential consumers and advertising leads may be selected for the potential consumers. An exchange of information related to an advertisement, offer, or gift may be facilitated between an advertiser and a participant in a participation television segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Pictures Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: James Christopher Joyce
  • Patent number: 8364555
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for selecting users to whom to promote an online offering, such as an auction or a fixed-price item offering, based at least in part on bidding history or purchase history. A data representation of multiple items offered online by a web merchant and a purchase history associated with the items and the web merchant for multiple users are maintained. A first item is identified in response to determining that the number of users who have purchased a second item and who have also purchased the first item meets a minimum threshold. A set of users who have both purchased the second item and also purchased the first item is identified. The first item is promoted to one or more of the identified users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Kotas
  • Patent number: 8364587
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing secure access of at least one of multiple financial account processors to a mobile device and/or facilitating secure financial transactions initiated from a mobile device via a gateway. One method can include receiving a mobile personal identification number (M-PIN) number and Customer Unique Identifier (CUID) from a mobile device and processing the received M-PIN and CUID to identify a Mobile Unique Identifier (MUID). The MUID identifies an account of at least one financial account processor accessible via a gateway, and the mobile device is provided access to the account through the gateway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: First Data Corporation
    Inventors: Todd R Nuzum, Barbara C Gaines, Brent D Adkisson, Vijay K Royyuru
  • Patent number: 8364591
    Abstract: Systems and associated apparatuses and methods for processing payment transactions. A merchant's data processing system may provide payment transaction data in a first format (e.g., Track 1) to a payment processing network. The payment processing network may determine the issuer to which the data will be provided as part of a process for authorizing the payment transaction. It is determined if the issuer is one that is expecting or requires that the data be provided in a second format (e.g., Track 2). If the issuer is one that is expecting or requires that the transaction data be supplied in the second format, then it is determined if the issuer is enrolled in the appropriate data mapping service. If the issuer is enrolled in the data mapping service, then the inventive system performs the data mapping processes needed to provide the data in the second format to the issuer. The issuer may then use the received data to determine whether to authorize the payment transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Visa International Service Association
    Inventors: Mark Rigby, Simon Hurry
  • Patent number: 8359212
    Abstract: The present invention provides a life insurance product known as longevity insurance. Longevity insurance mitigates longevity risk, the risk that an individual will outlive his or her assets. More specifically, the purchase of longevity insurance guarantees an individual a predetermined, periodic income payment for the life of the purchaser. The guaranteed stream of monthly income commences at a later date, which may be utilized to supplement an existing income level or provide income in the event that the individual outlives his or her accumulated assets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company
    Inventor: Stephen T. Joyce
  • Patent number: 8359267
    Abstract: A method, system and program product for operating an exchange method for municipal and/or state funds from banking institutions, comprising: accessing, one or more electronic databases holding data on client transaction accounts and funds in aggregated accounts and banking institutions holding Federal government securities; obtaining transaction data; generating instructions to deposit/transfer funds to or withdraw/transfer funds; receiving data for a first deposit from a first one of the banking institutions, where the first deposit comprises municipal funds and/or state funds; selecting, at least another of the banking institutions holding government securities to receive at least a portion of the first deposit of municipal funds and/or state funds; selecting, a plurality of client transaction accounts from one or more of the other banking institutions for the transfer of funds to the first banking institution; generating instructions to deposit/transfer funds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Island Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Bent, Bruce Bent, II, Arthur T. Bent, III
  • Patent number: 8355979
    Abstract: The present application provides methods and systems for maintaining anonymity in a gaming environment that include or perform the step or steps of receiving a user preference from a first user for maintaining an identity of the first user anonymous during at least one game; tracking game play involving the first user and at least one other user; receiving a request from the at least one other user to initiate at least one game with the first user; retrieving game history data specific to the first user and the at least one other user; retrieving at least one rule for controlling interactions between anonymous users and the at least one other user in the gaming environment; and disposing the request to initiate the at least one game with the first user based at least on the game history data and the at least one rule for controlling interactions between anonymous users and the at least one other user. The game may be a casino-type game, such as poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, and baccarat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: BGC Partners, Inc.
    Inventors: John Capuano, Antonio Papageorgiou
  • Patent number: 8355985
    Abstract: This invention includes methods for delivering account management services to multiple financial institutions that provide for customer deposit accounts without transaction but than nevertheless offer interest and receive enhanced deposit insurance. The methods apply at least one customer transaction to that customer's deposit account, and then re-allocate customer-deposited funds among the plurality of financial institutions in order that, for each customer, the risk of loss is not substantially increased, and that, for each financial institution, the amount of customer-deposited funds is not substantially decreased. Preferably, risk of loss is reduced by increasing the fraction of each customer's deposited funds covered by FDIC deposit insurance, and interest and enhanced insurance are available by innovative management of customer transactions and accounts. This invention also includes computer systems for practicing the methods and program products for accordingly configuring such computer systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Island Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Bent, Bruce Bent, II
  • Patent number: 8355934
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for identifying potential insurance prospects. The potential customers or prospects are identified by determining prospect underwriting affinity scores, prospect affinity scores, and prospect context scores with predictive models. The scores are then combined into a combined prospect score, which is used to adjust insurance underwriting, workflow, and premium determination processes for the prospects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company
    Inventor: Sankar Virdhagriswaran
  • Patent number: 8355949
    Abstract: The invention in some embodiments features a contextual content delivery system (CCDS) for enhancing conventional web content with pop-up bubbles that display information when a cursor hovers over a word, link, or icon. The CCDS is configured to identify words or links in a document, determine their context, select the appropriate bubble from a plural of bubble types for each of the words or links, select content for each bubble based, in part, on the context in which the words and hyperlinks are used. The context can be determined from various sources including the resource in which the word or link appears and the target resource to which the link points. Thereafter, the CCDS enhances the words or links so that bubbles are automatically invoked in response to the appropriate trigger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Ubermedia, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael N. Agostino, Jason P. Fields, Joseph Chen, Yovav Meydad, Jason Levine, Michael Radford, David E. Benson, Christopher Starace, Eric J. Kim
  • Patent number: 8352363
    Abstract: A mainframe-based far-distance bicentric transaction information processing system, providing a processing operation solution. The method includes: receiving upload transaction information containing transaction type data; searching transaction information requiring an amount of shared resource less than a preset threshold when being processed, according to the transaction type data; and transmitting the transaction information requiring the amount of shared resource less than the preset threshold when being processed, to a backup processing center to be processed, when CPU utilization rates exceeds a preset safety threshold. The system includes a main processing center and a backup processing center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Bank of Communications
    Inventor: Weidong Hou
  • Patent number: 8352370
    Abstract: Systems and methods for universal instant credit are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of offering a financial instrument to a customer includes (1) using a computer processor, an issuer providing a customer with an application for a financial instrument; (2) the issuer receiving from the customer a completed application for the financial instrument; (3) using the computer processor, the issuer determining whether to approve the customer for the financial instrument; (4) using the computer processor, the issuer transmitting a first portion of an account identifier to a merchant; and (5) using the computer processor, the issuer transmitting a second portion of the account identifier to the customer. The financial instrument may be a credit card, a stored value card, a line of credit, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
    Inventors: Tanya M. White, William F. Mann, III
  • Patent number: 8352294
    Abstract: A method includes receiving market data associated with an investment product that specifies a first guaranteed annual withdrawal amount and a second guaranteed annual withdrawal amount, where the first guaranteed annual withdrawal amount is greater than the second guaranteed annual withdrawal amount. The method includes automatically selecting a guaranteed annual withdrawal amount from the first guaranteed annual withdrawal amount and the second guaranteed annual withdrawal amount based on at least an evaluation of the market data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Ameriprise Financial, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen R. Wolfrath, Tamara L. Pollock, Gumer Cruz Alvero, Douglas Dunning, Sara Janz, Lynn Murphy Abbott, Joseph P. Heckel, Debra Miller Ekberg
  • Patent number: 8352342
    Abstract: A method, system and program product, the method accessing, one or more electronic databases, comprising: aggregated account information for one or more FDIC-insured and interest-bearing aggregated deposit accounts held in one or more deposit institutions, in a program; and client account information; determining or having determined or accessing a fee tier from among a plurality of fee tiers for the respective client account; allocating, funds of the client accounts to one or more of the aggregated deposit accounts based on one or more criteria, wherein some of the client accounts in a plurality of different fee tiers are allocated to the same aggregated deposit account; determining or having determined a total interest amount for the respective client account for a period, based, at least in part, on interest earned by the one or more amounts, Ani, of the respective client account held in each of the one or more aggregated deposit accounts holding funds of the respective client account; calculating or havin
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Island Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Bent, II, David Gareis
  • Patent number: 8352355
    Abstract: Win probability estimation model that statistically computes the probability of winning a bid at a given price, and profit optimization models that compute the optimal price for a bid balancing the probability of winning a bid at a price with the profitability of the bid at the given price. In one stage, an expected profit margin of a product may be formulated as a function of its profit margin and win probability to compute its optimal profit margin. In another stage, an expected profit for one or more product accessories may be formulated as a function of the profit margin and their conditional win probability given the server win to compute their optimal profit margins. The conditional win probabilities for the product accessories may be modeled as a function of the utilities of the various purchase options that contain the product and that accessory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Markus R. Ettl, Karthik Sourirajan, Zhengliang Xue