Patents Examined by James A Kramer
  • Patent number: 8336236
    Abstract: A bleacher advertising display system including a bleacher having a seating surface and a plurality of support beams that define an external vertical surface along one or more of the left side, rear side and right side of the bleacher. An advertising panel having advertising indicia thereon is engaged with a carrier and secured by way of a frame member to the support beams in such a way that the advertising panel is displayed along the external vertical surface. The frame member is adjustable to maintain the tension in the advertising panel so that the indicia are clearly displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Imaginethis Renovations, LLC
    Inventors: Eric S. Boltz, Scott A. Miller, Erik M. Baker
  • Patent number: 8341085
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for facilitating online storage of files (e.g., audio tracks, video, etc.) for playback/access or sale/exchange by the owners of the files without violating copyrights that copyright holders have in the files. For example, by providing a playback service that does not store additional versions of an audio file when the file is transmitted to, and immediately played on, a user device without buffering, the present invention avoids violating copyright laws by not making copies of the file. Numerous other aspects are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: CFPH, LLC
    Inventors: Howard Lutnick, Dean P. Alderucci
  • Patent number: 8336238
    Abstract: A display surface is attached to a support. The display surface has a recessed element between two protruding elements and a graphic image in which depth is reversed. The display surface can be in a card, which opens like a cover or a pop-up card or an according like card, a room divider, a cardboard display or a display for a building or billboard. Spacing of the display can be controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Inventor: Stephen P. Hines
  • Patent number: 8328222
    Abstract: An anti-sway, tongue-weight equalizing hitch for a trailer having a hitch ball socket; a shank structured for releasably connecting to a towing vehicle; a hitch head secured to the shank and having a longitudinal axis, a hitch ball with a tow axis on the longitudinal axis; an elevating mechanism for adjusting the relative elevations of the hitch head and the trailer tongue; a leveling mechanism for vertically-orienting the tow axis; right and left spring bars mounted to the hitch head to pivot about opposing right and left rearwardly-tilted stabilizing axes disposed in opposing vertically-oriented pivot axis planes spaced laterally and equidistantly outwardly from the longitudinal axis; and right and left suspension mechanisms tensionally suspending distal ends of the spring bars wherein distal ends thereof are normally spaced laterally and equidistantly outwardly from the respective vertical-oriented pivot axis planes in an equilibrium configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Automatic Equipment Manufacting Company
    Inventors: Leslie Roeber, Paul Choquette
  • Patent number: 8327566
    Abstract: A form having a wristband and, optionally, detachable labels, includes a printable face ply and a liner ply. The printable face ply has an upper surface and a lower surface, and a pressure sensitive adhesive on at least a portion of the lower surface. The face ply may include first and second adjacent portions, with the first portion of the face ply die cut to form a detachable wristband having first and second ends and an upper and a lower surface, with pressure sensitive adhesive on the lower surface of the detachable wristband adjacent the first and second ends, and with the second portion of the face ply die cut to form the series of detachable labels. The first portion of the face ply is also die cut to form an extender band having first and second ends and an upper and a lower surface, with pressure sensitive adhesive on the lower surface of the extender band adjacent the first and second ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: The Standard Register Company
    Inventor: Bryce C. Waggoner
  • Patent number: 8311946
    Abstract: A mechanism gives users meaningful access to information while protecting the interests of publishers and creators of information including text, graphics, photos, executable files, data tables, audio, video, and three dimensional data and allows a user to review a document while connected to a network but prevents the user from downloading, printing, or copying the document unless a fee is paid. The user is allowed to review documents at a first cost basis, but only provides other access to documents, such as copying, printing, or downloading on a second cost basis. The user is also allowed to purchase a selectable portion of a document at a price based on the amount of material selected where that amount of material can include a portion of a document, an entire document, or an anthology of components of multiple documents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Ebrary
    Inventors: Christopher Warnock, Ken Abrams, Rick Holzgrafe
  • Patent number: 8306918
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for distributing content over a network. The method distributes a single media storage structure to a device (e.g., a computer, portable player, etc.) that connects to the network. The media storage structure includes first and second pieces of encrypted content. Based on whether the device is allowed to access the first piece of content, the second piece of content, or both, the method provides the device with a set of keys for decrypting the pieces of the content that the device is able to access. The provided set of keys might include one or more keys for decrypting only one of the two encrypted pieces of content. Alternatively, it might include one or more keys for decrypting both encrypted pieces of content. For instance, the selected set of keys might include a first key for decrypting the first encrypted piece and a second key for decrypting the second encrypted piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Augustin J. Farrugia, Thomas Dowdy, Gianpaolo Fasoli
  • Patent number: 8280815
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for facilitating online storage of files (e.g., audio tracks, video, etc.) for playback/access or sale/exchange by the owners of the files without violating copyrights that copyright holders have in the files. For example, by providing a playback service that does not store additional versions of an audio file when the file is transmitted to, and immediately played on, a user device without buffering, the present invention avoids violating copyright laws by not making copies of the file. Numerous other aspects are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: CFPH, LLC
    Inventors: Howard Lutnick, Dean P. Alderucci
  • Patent number: 8266061
    Abstract: A digital content editing apparatus that edits a content having license information defining a grant for a reusing operation or a multiple content including a plurality of the contents includes: a reuse license processor that obtains a constraint indicative of a condition on reuse between a content or the multiple content and a content other than the content or the multiple content from the license information of the content or the multiple content; an instruction generator that generates an operation execution instruction of reusing the content or the multiple content according to the constraint obtained by the reuse license processor; a reusing unit that reuses the content or the multiple content based on the operation execution instruction generated by the instruction generator; and an editor that edits the content or the multiple content reused by the reusing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Satoshi Ito, Hideyuki Aisu, Tooru Kamibayashi, Koichiro Akiyama, Shinichiro Hamada
  • Patent number: 8121943
    Abstract: An automated account management system provides a user with the ability to establish rules that dictate how the account management system is to manage the user's accounts. Once the user specifies a set of rules, the system automatically manages multiple accounts across multiple financial institutions in accordance with the user-defined rules. Other features, such as an on-line bill payment system, a money transfer system, and a retirement planning system, may be integrated within the automated account management system to provide the user with even greater control over his or her financial assets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: FMR LLC
    Inventor: Steve Elterich
  • Patent number: 8095446
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed which relate to the management of asset invested in a fund. The system includes a computer connected to a network which has constantly updated fund data available to compare a current fund with a plurality of possible new funds. The system automatically transfers from one fund to another according to user predetermined criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Inventors: Zachary Miller Green, Milton J. Wolfson
  • Patent number: 8069113
    Abstract: An automated account management system provides a user with the ability to establish rules that dictate how the account management system is to manage the user's accounts. Once the user specifies a set of rules, the system automatically manages multiple accounts across multiple financial institutions in accordance with the user-defined rules. Other features, such as an on-line bill payment system, a money transfer system, and a retirement planning system, may be integrated within the automated account management system to provide the user with even greater control over his or her financial assets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: FMR LLC
    Inventor: Steve Elterich
  • Patent number: 8055579
    Abstract: Provided are methods and systems for determining score consistency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: VantageScore Solutions, LLC
    Inventors: Sarah Davies, Duan Wang, Andrada Pacheco
  • Patent number: 8050990
    Abstract: A method of generating a purchase order includes receiving purchasing data for the item to be purchased in a computerized system and generating the purchase order based on received purchasing data for the item to be purchased, determining whether a sufficient amount of funds is available for the purchase order, submitting the purchase order for a remedial action to obtain the sufficient amount of funds if the sufficient amount of funds is not available, determining a supplier for the item to be purchased from a plurality of potential suppliers using an automated auction system if a sufficient amount of funds is available, and modifying the purchase order to include data from the automated auction regarding the supplier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: SAP AG
    Inventors: Markus Welter, Holger Wittmer
  • Patent number: 8046298
    Abstract: A computerized mortgage loan data processing system comprises a loan cost analysis engine which compares data pertaining to loan pricing for a mortgage loan with loan pricing standards to evaluate whether the loan pricing is in compliance with the loan pricing standards. An interface is configured to provide an indication regarding whether the loan pricing is in compliance with the loan pricing standards prior to closing of the loan or prior to sale of the mortgage loan in the secondary mortgage market. The indication may be provided to a mortgage loan advisor or to a secondary mortgage market purchaser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Fannie Mae
    Inventors: David N. Voth, Richard N. Plotnick, Peter G. Kopperman, Caroline R. Herron, John A. Derwin, Sheilah A. Goodman, Michelle Y. Watson, Laura L. McDonald, Elizabeth H. Schamber, Richard J. McGhee
  • Patent number: 8036974
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating an integrated market and credit loss distribution for the purpose of calculating one or more risk measures associated with a portfolio of instruments are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, compound risk factor sampling is performed that comprises conditionally generating multiple systemic credit driver samples for each market risk factor sample generated per time step of a simulation. There are also disclosed systems and methods for determining an optimal number of sample values for each of the market risk factors, systemic credit drivers, and optionally, idiosyncratic credit risk factors that would be required in order to obtain an acceptable amount of variability in the calculated risk estimates and/or to satisfy an available computational budget.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Algorithmics Software LLC
    Inventors: Ben De Prisco, Ian Iscoe, Yijun Jiang, Helmut Mausser
  • Patent number: 8036975
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating an integrated market and credit loss distribution for the purpose of calculating one or more risk measures associated with a portfolio of instruments are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, compound risk factor sampling is performed that comprises conditionally generating multiple systemic credit driver samples for each market risk factor sample generated per time step of a simulation. There are also disclosed systems and methods for determining an optimal number of sample values for each of the market risk factors, systemic credit drivers, and optionally, idiosyncratic credit risk factors that would be required in order to obtain an acceptable amount of variability in the calculated risk estimates and/or to satisfy an available computational budget.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Algorithmics Software LLC
    Inventors: Ben De Prisco, Ian Iscoe, Yijun Jiang, Helmut Mausser
  • Patent number: 8032440
    Abstract: A new computer-implemented method for determination of a financial index, namely, implied volatility for American options. The method involves the division of the period until option expiration into a series of sub-periods, and calculation of a node vega, the node vega being the exact derivative of the option price with respect to the volatility at the end of at least one of said subperiods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Optionmetrics LLC
    Inventor: David Hait
  • Patent number: 8032443
    Abstract: Systems and method of enabling trading in currencies are provided. A method of trading a foreign currency option on an electronic trading system according to the invention may include executing a trade of the foreign currency option between a buyer and a seller, locking the trading system with respect to the traded foreign currency option, querying the buyer whether the buyer desires to buy or sell additional volume of the option, querying the seller whether the seller desires to sell or buy additional volume of the option, and authorizing additional participants to join the trade and querying the additional participants whether each of the additional participants desires to buy or sell a volume of the option. The method may also include starting a countdown timer and displaying the timer on the graphical user interface of the buyer, the seller and the additional parties and receiving buy and sell orders from the at least one of the buyer, the seller and additional participants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Inventors: Michel Remy Everaert, Francesco Cicero, Alexander Kiss, Brian Cummins
  • Patent number: 8027903
    Abstract: A system and method for producing infrastructure health assessments enabling enterprises to monitor the health of individual technology portfolios and plan accordingly is disclosed. The tool uses two primary assessments to determine: 1) an infrastructure score based the general health of asset components; and 2) adaptability score based on asset components ability to interact with other elements within the asset. To generate the assessment scores, the tool accepts inventory input specific to a portfolio's assets and components. A user interacting with the tool provides classification information relating to each asset and component. The tool then calculates health assessment scores for both individual portfolio assets and for the portfolio as a whole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Fred Bishop, Sherry McCullough Easterwood, Pradeep Varghese George, Robert Del Gilmore, James Walker Mathews, Lawrence J. Mitsch, James Robert Rottman, James Denis Thornton